The Ledzokuku Municipal Assembly, through its Education Directorate, Health Directorate and Social Welfare Department, has embarked on an inspection exercise in schools within the municipality to assess the suitability of their environments for teaching and learning, warning that schools that fail to meet the required standards could face closure.

The exercise is aimed at ensuring that schools, particularly those admitting pre-school children, provide safe, healthy and conducive environments to support effective teaching and learning.

According to the inspection team, some parents enrol their children in schools without knowing the actual conditions of the facilities while others are reportedly denied access to school premises to assess the environment in which their children learn.

The team said the inspection was therefore necessary to identify schools operating below the required standards and ensure that appropriate corrective measures are taken to protect pupils.

During visits to some schools, the team reportedly identified facilities that did not meet the necessary requirements for pre-school enrolment.

The affected schools have consequently been asked to address the identified deficiencies before the end of October 2026 with the assembly warning that failure to comply could result in their closure.

Speaking in an interview, the Chairman of the Social Services Sub-Committee of the Ledzokuku Municipal Assembly (LEKMA), Saint Kabu, cautioned school proprietors against compromising the quality and safety of their facilities.

“The safety, health and welfare of our children must not be compromised in the name of running a school. We are therefore urging all school proprietors to cooperate with the Assembly, take our recommendations seriously and correct the shortcomings identified to ensure that their schools provide a safe and conducive environment for teaching and learning,” Mr. Kabu said.

He stressed that providing a conducive learning environment was not optional but an essential responsibility of every school owner.

Mr. Kabu said the assembly was concerned about the conditions under which some children were being taught, adding that schools must provide facilities that promote effective teaching and learning.

He noted that parents made considerable financial sacrifices to educate their children and deserved to have them enrolled in institutions that met the required standards.

“Parents make significant financial sacrifices to ensure that their children receive an education. They deserve to have the assurance that the schools they choose for their children provide a safe and suitable environment for learning,” he said.

He urged school proprietors to take the inspection exercise seriously and address all shortcomings identified by the team within the stipulated period.

“We are giving the affected schools until the end of October 2026 to put their facilities in order and address all the deficiencies identified during the inspection. Schools that fail to meet the required standards within the stipulated period risk closure,” the inspection team warned.”

According to him, the assembly would not compromise on standards where the health, safety and welfare of children were concerned.

The inspection covered several essential areas including classroom ventilation, water supply systems, classroom capacity and toilet facilities among other requirements necessary for the proper operation of pre-schools.

Mr. Kabu further explained that the exercise was part of efforts to ensure that schools within the municipality complied with the relevant standards and provided environments that supported the safety, health and academic development of pupils.

He called on school owners to cooperate with the assembly and take the necessary steps to improve their facilities before the October deadline.

Health Directorate Urges Parents To Embrace HPV Vaccination

Meanwhile, a representative of the Ledzokuku Municipal Health Directorate, Gifty Ofori Ansah, has urged parents and caregivers to make their eligible children available for the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, describing the vaccine as an important intervention in the prevention of cervical cancer.

She cautioned parents against allowing misinformation and misconceptions surrounding the vaccine to influence their decisions, stressing that public education was necessary to ensure that more eligible children benefited from the programme.

Mrs. Ansah said parents who refused to allow their children to receive the vaccine because of misinformation risked missing an important opportunity to protect them against HPV infections associated with cervical cancer.

She emphasised that the vaccine was safe and encouraged parents to embrace the vaccination programme rather than rely on unverified information.

“The HPV vaccine is safe, and parents must be encouraged to accept it for their eligible children. We should not allow misinformation or rumours to prevent us from taking advantage of an intervention that can help protect the health of our children,” she said.

She added that the government’s decision to make the vaccine available free of charge was intended to remove financial barriers and help more eligible children access the intervention.

According to her, although the vaccine is expensive, the government’s commitment to preventing and ultimately eliminating cervical cancer has made it possible for eligible children to receive it at no cost under the programme.

“The vaccine is expensive, but the government is making it available free of charge as part of efforts to prevent cervical cancer. Parents should take advantage of this opportunity and ensure that their eligible children are vaccinated,” she stated.

Mrs. Ansah urged parents and caregivers to seek accurate information from qualified health professionals instead of relying on rumours or misleading claims about the vaccine.

She maintained that public cooperation would be essential to achieving the objectives of the vaccination programme and reducing the future burden of cervical cancer.

The assembly’s school inspection exercise and the Health Directorate’s vaccination message form part of broader efforts to promote the welfare, safety and health of children within the Ledzokuku municipality.