Abandoned Classroom Block Threatens Pupils’ Lives in Berekum

Pupils at the Y. B. Demonstration C Basic School in Berekum are facing severe safety risks as they continue to enter and play inside an abandoned, crumbling classroom block situated on the school compound.

The easy access children have to the unmaintained structure has sparked intense fears that the compromised building could collapse without warning, particularly during periods of heavy rainfall or strong winds.

Concerned community members warn that a sudden collapse could trap or seriously injure pupils, teachers, and passersby, carrying the potential for tragic fatalities.

A collapse would also destroy adjacent school infrastructure and scatter hazardous construction debris across the active school grounds.

The classroom block has sat abandoned since 2017, when a severe thunderstorm ripped off its roof.

Nearly a decade later, the exposed structure continues to rot, with its standing walls visibly cracked, weakened, and deteriorating further under daily exposure to harsh weather conditions.

The worsening hazard has alarmed parents, teachers, and local leaders, driving urgent calls for the immediate demolition of the structure to avert a predictable disaster.

Stakeholders are appealing to the Berekum East Municipal Assembly and the Municipal Education Directorate to urgently inspect the compound and execute a controlled demolition.

Warning that leaving the building to collapse on its own invites catastrophe, community members are urging local authorities to intervene swiftly before lives are lost.