Labone SHS Freshers Forced to Sit on Floors and Benches as Desks Run Short

First-year students at Labone Senior High School in Accra are enduring harsh learning conditions as many are made to sit on the floor or squeeze onto dining hall benches during lessons due to a dire shortage of desks. Parents, who recently contributed GH¢300 for infrastructure and GH¢100 in PTA dues, say they are disappointed that the situation has not improved.

According to news reports by The Mirror as seen by SIXSCRIBES.com on November 19, 2025, several classrooms were found overcrowded, with Form One students sitting in uncomfortable positions while seniors used the few available desks for their mock examinations. Some freshers leaned against walls to write, shared small single-person desks, or wrote on their laps. In some classes, more than six students squeezed onto long benches, struggling to take notes.

Teachers say the problem is not new. Integrated Science teacher Obed Nyarko explained that the shortage resurfaces every academic year as the school admits large numbers of students under the double-track system. Many existing desks are broken or unsafe, worsening the challenge. The overcrowding, he added, affects supervision, distracts students, and even encourages cheating during tests because of the cramped arrangement.

Students expressed frustration, saying they often endure pain from bending over benches for long hours or switching between squatting, kneeling, and sitting on the floor just to write. Some recalled that in their first days, most freshers had no choice but to sit directly on the floor if they couldn’t secure a chair.

Parents who spoke to The Mirror questioned how the funds collected were being used, insisting that basic items like desks should be a priority. They expressed readiness to support further if improvements are made visible.

School authorities acknowledged the infrastructure deficit but declined to give full details. The Assistant Headmaster in charge of Administration, Mr. Ishmael Ayim, said only the headmistress or the Ghana Education Service could officially address the matter. He added that the school periodically submits reports on its needs and remained hopeful that assistance would be provided through the proper channels.