Abandoned college begs villagers for classrooms

Government Technical High School, GTHS Bombe-Bakundu, created over 12 years and seemingly abandoned without classrooms, has turned to villagers to beg for structures.

The school has only worn-out wooden structures constructed by the village council and hopes of ever getting modern classrooms and workshops from the Government are fading.

Addressing guests during the 2016 edition of the open-door days for technical schools, the Principal of GTHS Bombe-Bakundu, Aghim Abunaw, said the institution’s resolve to function in line with State policies of professionalisation are hampered by the lack of equipment and infrastructure.

Appealing to the Chief and villagers of Bombe-Bakundu, the Principal said: “Our college needs functional and well-equipped workshops, laboratories and specialised rooms which your Majesty, ladies and gentlemen, as you can see for yourselves, are all absent … even though a High School.

We are, thus, appealing for support from the visionary and transformational leadership of Bombe-Bakundu to help us towards this drive. We are appealing to the good conscience of the Bombe-Bakundu community to provide us with a block of two classrooms to enable us to start our High School, the Principal pleaded.

According to Abunaw, to succeed in the professionalisation of education, there is the need for adequate and state-of-the-art infrastructure, equipment, training, competent and motivated manpower and an enabling environment.

However, the engineer cum principal stated that, the resolve of his team to achieve groundbreaking results in training students, has been thwarted by difficulties. The Principal cited inadequate Government grants, acute shortage of teaching staff, acute shortage of basic equipment and infrastructure and nonexistent collaboration of other education stakeholders.

Revisiting the 2016 open-door days held under the theme; “Open Days; A Showcase of Professional Education in an Efficient School,” the engineer said there is urgent need for a meaningful shift from theory to professionalisation as per the dictates of competitive global market forces.

Abunaw said the day provided a platform to match theory with practice, public presentation of happenings in technical education and a time for public evaluation of knowledge acquired by students in technical schools.

GTHS Bombe-Bakundu boasts of over 300 students, 25 permanent staff, and eight part-time teachers. Besides the lack of basic infrastructure, access to electricity, potable water, a decent environment for the staff and students remains problematic.

Bombe is the village of former Minister, Chief Justice Benjamin Mutanga Itoe. Itoe served as Minister in three different ministries at various times.