SINIENSI BASIC SCHOOL
Partner School since 2018
Siniensi Primary School and Siniensi Junior High School are part of the wider Siniensi Basic School system in the Siniensi community of the Builsa North Municipal District in Ghana’s Upper East Region.
The schools serve children and young people from a predominantly rural community, where farming is the main source of livelihood for many families. Buli is widely spoken within the community.
Siniensi Basic School is located in the Builsa North Municipal District of Ghana’s Upper East Region.
The school serves children and young people from a predominantly rural, farming community. Buli is widely spoken in the area.
Education in the Siniensi Community
Like many rural communities, Siniensi has faced challenges that can affect children’s access to quality education and the day-to-day work of teachers.
Over the years, these have included limited classroom and staff facilities, inadequate sanitation facilities, shortages of teaching and learning materials, and limited access to wider educational opportunities.
Previous community accounts have described teachers working from verandas or under trees because of limited staff spaces within the school.
Despite these challenges, students and teachers have continued to participate actively in academic and extracurricular activities.
Siniensi Junior High School has previously been recognised locally for its academic performance. A 2019 account written by a student at the school reported that eight out of nine students passed the BECE in one academic year, while also highlighting the school’s participation in sports and other extracurricular activities.
School Infrastructure Challenges
Siniensi Basic School has experienced several infrastructure challenges that have affected the learning environment for students and teachers.
These have included limited classroom facilities, inadequate staff spaces, sanitation challenges and classrooms requiring repairs and improvements. Over the years, efforts have been made to improve parts of the school environment and create safer and more suitable spaces for teaching and learning.
Our Partnership with Siniensi Basic School
Siniensi Primary School and Siniensi Junior High School are long-standing partner schools of Homeland Ghana Educational Foundation.
Our work with the Siniensi school community began in 2018, making Siniensi one of Homeland Ghana’s longest-standing school partnerships. Our earliest work focused on improving learning conditions and increasing access to educational resources for children at the schools.
Since then, students have received essential school supplies, including textbooks, exercise books, pens, pencils and other learning materials. These resources support children’s participation in lessons while helping to reduce some of the cost of basic learning materials for families.
One of our major projects at Siniensi Primary School was the creation of a school library. More than 500 storybooks were provided alongside tables, chairs, furniture and other learning resources to create a dedicated space where children could read and develop their literacy skills.
Homeland Ghana also carried out classroom improvement works at the school. Classrooms were repainted and refurbished, damaged flooring was repaired, and new doors and windows were installed.
Educational wall art and learning visuals were also added to make classrooms more engaging and supportive spaces for children.
Homeland Ghana also delivered an extra classes programme at the school for more than five months. The programme gave students additional opportunities to learn outside their normal classroom hours and receive further academic support.
Additional improvements to the learning environment have included the installation of blackboards and marker boards to support teachers and students during lessons.
Girls at Siniensi Basic School have also benefited from Homeland Ghana’s menstrual health support work. Through this support, girls have received access to sanitary products alongside menstrual health education aimed at addressing some of the challenges they can experience managing their periods while at school.
The support forms part of our wider commitment to helping girls feel comfortable, confident and able to participate fully in their education.
Our partnership with Siniensi Basic School has also given students opportunities to take part in interactive learning activities beyond their regular lessons. Students have participated in LEGO workshops, educational field trips, collaborative learning activities, safeguarding sessions and child rights workshops.
Our child rights activities have also involved collaboration with the Department of Social Welfare, helping students learn more about their rights, responsibilities, wellbeing and how to seek support when they need it.
Through practical and group-based activities, students have opportunities to develop skills such as teamwork, creativity, communication and problem-solving.
Siniensi Primary School and Siniensi Junior High School remain important partner schools in our work to help children in underserved rural communities attend school, participate fully and learn well.
