
The Parents Teachers Association (PTA) of Bolgatanga Senior High School has refurbished the school dining hall, addressing the deteriorating conditions of both the dining hall and kitchen. The school, which is approximately 53 years old, had not undergone any major refurbishment in over five decades. The kitchen and dining hall were plagued by leaking roofs, poor lighting, and inadequate ventilation.
In an exclusive media interview following the successful handover of the refurbished dining hall and kitchen, PTA chairman Mr. Leonard Anafo noted that the association spent over one hundred seventy-four thousand Ghana cedis on the renovations. He stated, “The situation was unacceptable and an eyesore which did not guarantee food safety and safety of the students when it rains. This necessitated the speedy refurbishment to give the structure a facelift.”

The structure had not received major renovations since 1956. Mr. Anafo explained, “The PTA started the renovation works of the Dining Hall/Kitchen Block in September 2024. The renovation became critical in order to redeem the structure whose level of dilapidation was unacceptable and also an eyesore to guarantee food safety for the students and to give a facelift to the structure holistically which had been severely affected by lack of repair for many years. As such, the entire roof of the Kitchen and parts of the dining hall roof were re-roofed, block and flooring works were done, electrical wiring was re-done, ceiling and general furnishing works were done, new louvre carriers and blades were fixed, and painting work was carried out. The work was completed on 15th January 2025.”

This marks the second major refurbishment undertaken by the PTA, following a similar renovation of the Bayala/Ajene House Block in 2024, where the roof was re-roofed, electrical wiring was updated, and new doors and louvre carriers were installed, culminating in a handover to the school management on 19th July 2024. This earlier renovation was crucial to prevent students’ belongings from being soaked during rains and provided a significant facelift to the dormitory block.

Mr. Leonard expressed gratitude to the headmaster of Bolgatanga Senior High School, Mr. Anthony Adimazoya, and the entire school management for initiating an interactive program called “the teacher, student, and parent face-to-face quarterly interaction.” This program aims to foster closer relationships between parents and teachers, allowing for discussions about students’ academic performance and strategies for improvement.

Mr. Anafo also noted that the PTA has been committed to fulfilling its obligations by providing incentives and extra classes for staff when funds are available. He emphasized that this support, although modest, is a way to appreciate the efforts of staff towards the education and moral training of students.

Mr. Anthony Adimazoya, the headmaster, thanked the PTA for enhancing the dining hall and kitchen. He explained the critical need for refurbishment: “The foodstuff in the kitchen were exposed to rain anytime it rained, as well as the deteriorated state of the kitchen floor coupled with a poor lighting system. I made a passionate appeal to them that looking at my dining hall, it was not presentable, especially the kitchen site. I brought them here, we went to the kitchen site, and it was so deplorable, so dirty. If you prepare meals at that place for people to eat, if you don’t take time, you lose your appetite. Our food stores are there, and the roof was leaking. Whenever it rains, water drops on the foodstuff. Considering the kind of foodstuff that are normally delivered to us, some rotten, if you allow rain to beat those foodstuff, I wonder how you can turn it into a good meal for people to eat.”

He further highlighted the importance of hygiene regarding food safety, especially with the impending inspection from Food and Drugs Authority officials. He also appealed to the PTA to extend their support to the school’s science block, which is also in poor condition.
Source: mywordfmonline.com/Gaspard Ayuureneeya A .