A fire outbreak has destroyed the kitchen and cooking area used for the preparation of meals for pupils at Ninting Roman Catholic (R/C) Primary School in the Mampong Municipality of the Ashanti Region, disrupting school feeding activities and forcing the temporary closure of the Kindergarten section.
The incident, which occurred recently, caused extensive damage to the structure and cooking equipment used by the school to prepare food for pupils, particularly those in the pre-school division. Fortunately, no injuries were recorded, as the fire broke out at a time when pupils were not on the school premises.
Following the incident, school authorities were compelled to temporarily suspend academic activities for the Kindergarten and Nursery sections, as the destruction of the kitchen made it impossible to safely prepare meals for the young learners under the school feeding programme. Pupils in the primary section, however, continue to attend classes while temporary arrangements are being explored.
Although the exact cause of the fire is yet to be officially determined, preliminary information suggests it may have resulted from an electrical fault or an unattended source of fire. Relevant authorities are expected to conduct further investigations to establish the cause and prevent future occurrences.
The incident has placed significant strain on the school and parents, many of whom rely heavily on the school feeding programme to support their children’s education and nutrition. Teachers and community members have expressed concern about the impact of the disruption on early childhood education at the school.
School management has appealed to the Mampong Municipal Assembly, the Ghana Education Service, non-governmental organisations, and benevolent individuals to come to the aid of the school by supporting the reconstruction of the damaged kitchen facility. According to the authorities, restoring the kitchen is crucial to ensuring the full resumption of academic activities for the pre-school pupils.
Meanwhile, officials from the Municipal Education Directorate are expected to visit the school to assess the extent of the damage and recommend urgent interventions to restore normalcy and safeguard the welfare of the pupils.
