Pupils and teachers of Akyem Pano Presbyterian Basic School in the Abuakwa South Municipality of the Eastern Region on Tuesday poured onto the streets in a peaceful but emotionally charged demonstration to protest against the persistent defecation in their classrooms by unknown individuals.
The unusual protest, which attracted the attention of residents, traders, motorists, and community leaders, saw scores of schoolchildren dressed in their uniforms with red armbands tied around their wrists as a symbol of distress and frustration.
Holding placards with bold inscriptions such as “The Kids Are Tired of Scrubbing Toilets Every Morning,” “Stop Defecating in Our Classroom,” and “We Need a Safe Learning Environment,” the pupils marched through the principal streets of Akyem Pano chanting solidarity songs and appealing for immediate intervention.
The demonstration highlighted what both school authorities and residents described as a worsening sanitation crisis that is seriously affecting academic activities and the emotional well-being of pupils and teachers.
According to information gathered, unknown persons have repeatedly broken into classrooms at night to defecate on classroom floors, leaving behind unbearable stench and filth that pupils and teachers are compelled to clean before lessons can begin each morning.
Residents say the shameful practice has persisted for several months despite repeated complaints to opinion leaders, community stakeholders, and the Municipal Education Directorate.
The situation has generated widespread anger within the community, especially because the school is located close to a functioning public toilet facility, making the repeated acts even more disturbing.
Some residents who spoke during the protest described the development as a disgrace to the community and called for urgent collective action to identify and punish those behind the acts.
“This is not only inhuman but also dangerous to the health of the children,” one resident lamented adding “the classrooms are meant for learning, not for human waste. The entire community must rise against this.”
Teachers at the school reportedly arrive each morning to scenes of contamination, with some pupils forced to participate in cleaning exercises before academic work starts, a situation, according to parents, has disrupted effective teaching and learning and exposed the children to serious health risks, including possible infections and psychological trauma.
Addressing the demonstrators, the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) Chairman, Alhaji Issah Alhassan, popularly known in the community as Shaibu Tettey, condemned the acts in strong terms and warned that the school would no longer tolerate such behaviour.
He disclosed that the matter had become a major source of worry for both parents and staff and stressed that decisive measures would now be taken to protect the school environment.
According to him, anyone found loitering around the school premises after 7:00 p.m. would be arrested and handed over to the police for prosecution, as he further cautioned individuals who use the school compound as a sleeping place at night to desist immediately.
“We cannot continue to allow innocent schoolchildren to suffer this humiliation every morning. The school environment must be protected, and those behind these shameful acts must know that enough is enough,” he said.
The protest coincided with a community durbar organized by the Pano Diamond Ladies Club in collaboration with Femicare Ghana to educate basic school pupils on menstrual hygiene and adolescent health issues.
Speaking at the event, the headmistress of the school, Madam Darko Kyerewaa, explained that the demonstration became necessary after several appeals failed to yield results.
She noted that teachers and pupils endure painful and humiliating experiences every morning as they are compelled to clean human waste from classrooms before academic work can commence.
Madam Kyerewaa expressed concern over the negative impact the situation is having on education in the school, stressing that no child should study under such degrading and unhealthy conditions.
She, therefore, appealed passionately to traditional authorities, assembly members, security agencies, the Municipal Assembly, and all well-meaning residents to support efforts aimed at ending the practice permanently.
“Our children deserve a clean, safe, and conducive environment to learn,” she stressed adding “Education can only thrive where there is dignity, hygiene, and security.”
Many residents who joined the protest called for the installation of security lights, reinforced classroom doors, and night patrols around the school to help identify perpetrators and prevent further occurrences.
Others also urged parents and guardians within the community to educate their children and relatives on proper sanitation practices and the importance of protecting public property.
The incident has since sparked intense discussions across the community, with many describing it as a wake-up call for stronger communal responsibility and improved sanitation enforcement.
Education stakeholders say unless swift intervention is taken, the continued desecration of the classrooms could undermine academic performance, affect school attendance, and expose pupils to avoidable health dangers.
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