Published: September 25, 2026
GBARNGA, Bong County —The government’s free registration policy for public elementary schools is drawing more students into classrooms, but at J.F. Clarke Elementary School in Gbarnga, the increased enrollment is exposing serious gaps in basic infrastructure and learning materials.
By Rancy Clarke
Students at the government-run school say they are forced to sit on broken chairs and cement blocks during classes because the school lacks adequate seating.
“Some of the chairs we are sitting on here are very ugly, and some of us sit on cement blocks, which is not fair. We are calling on the Ministry of Education to come to our aid” Rebecca L. Matthews said.
The problem, students said, has become so severe that some collect cement blocks left from the construction of the school’s fence and use them as seats during instructional periods.
“Y’all, please help us; we don’t have any chairs here. We can sit on these blocks. I can feel fine sitting on this thing and writing,” said Zechariah S. Gbelai, a sixth-grade student.
The school currently operates two sessions, with nearly 600 students enrolled. Children from nursery through third grade attend classes in the morning, while students in fourth through sixth grade attend in the afternoon.
The increased enrollment is taking place against the backdrop of deteriorating school infrastructure. Classrooms our reporter visited were congested, while sections of the roof were dilapidated and the walls were peeling.
Students also complained of a leaking roof and other deteriorating conditions, saying the situation is making it difficult for them to concentrate during lessons.
“The chairs are rotten. Let the government help us”, said Joshua Sumo, a fifth-grade student.
A visit to the school found some students writing on their laps because the armchairs provided for them were damaged.
The students welcomed the government’s free and compulsory education policy but said the policy must be accompanied by adequate infrastructure and learning materials.
They are calling on the Ministry of Education to renovate the school and provide enough chairs to replace the damaged ones.
The school compound was also observed to be filthy, with students attributing the condition to the broader deterioration of the school’s facilities.
Beyond the seating problem, some teachers, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the school has not received stationery from the government since the beginning of the academic year.
The teachers said they also have not received books needed to prepare lesson plans, raising concerns about the availability of basic teaching resources at the school.
They are calling on the Ministry of Education to increase its monitoring and evaluation of public schools to identify and address infrastructure, furniture and instructional-material shortages.
The condition of J.F. Clarke Elementary School raises a broader question about whether the expansion of access to public education is being matched with the resources needed to accommodate the growing number of students.
While the government’s free registration policy has removed a financial barrier for many families, students and teachers at the Gbarnga school say inadequate seating, deteriorating classrooms, and shortages of basic teaching materials continue to undermine the learning environment.
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