Restructure Academic Calendar To Suit Students Affected By The Akosombo Dam Spillage – GNAT

The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) is calling on the Ministry of Education (MoE) and the Ghana Education Service to restructure the academic calendar to suit students affected by the Akosombo Dam spillage.

According to GNAT, the recent spillage in the Volta and Oti regions has resulted in the displacement of more than 300 teachers and numerous students, casting uncertainty over the educational prospects of these affected students.

During a visit to the Mepe community in the Volta Region, Reverend Isaac Owusu, the National President of GNAT, underscored the urgent necessity of engaging in immediate dialogues to formulate a comprehensive plan aimed at providing support to both teachers and students in this challenging situation.

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“Luckily for us, we have been informed that the Minister of Education and the Director General are in town. So, we will not be reporting to them this time. They have seen it, so I believe that when they get to Accra, they will invite the key stakeholders, of which GNAT is one, to the table to discuss how best to restructure the academic calendar specifically for the people in this area. This is because they cannot be added to the normal school activities, as this will create an education emergency

Restructure Academic Calendar To Suit Students Affected By The Akosombo Dam Spillage – GNAT

“…So, once the Minister of Education and the Director General of the Ghana Education Service are in town, we will be surprised if they do nothing and leave things as they are. So, we believe and trust that they will bring out a roadmap to ensure that we do not leave the victims behind,” he stated

Large areas of land and communities downstream of the Akosombo and Kpong dams have been flooded since October 9, 2023. This follows the second stage leak at two dams used to generate a third of Ghana’s electricity.

The Volta River Authority (VRA) began controlling the flow of water in the eastern Akosombo and Kpong dams from 15 September 2023 after it became clear that heavy rains had caused excess water in the two reservoirs.

Restructure Academic Calendar To Suit Students Affected By The Akosombo Dam Spillage – GNAT

The leak affected almost all communities in the Volta region, causing major power outages in the affected communities.

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As of Thursday, October 12, 2023, the water level in the dam is 276.92 feet, that is, 84.405 meters. Before the leak, the water level was 272.50 feet or 83.058 meters.

The VRA is overflowing the dam because the water in the reservoir has reached the safe operating level for this time of year and the water must be drained from the reservoir to make room for the water flow. If not, water may overflow from the pond and affect its integrity. Question 2. Why does VRA need to splash water from electricity generation?

All existing rooms are now used to generate electricity, but the water entering the reservoir is still higher than before, so electricity generation alone cannot eliminate all the water. If the spill is not contained immediately, water could overflow the dam and cause uncontrollable damage to downstream communities.