KOLE DISTRICT — A newly constructed science laboratory block at Kole Secondary School was officially commissioned this week, giving the school its first dedicated space for physics, chemistry, and biology practicals.

The facility, funded through a government secondary education infrastructure grant, includes three separate laboratory rooms, a preparation room, and storage for chemicals and equipment — replacing makeshift arrangements that had seen science classes share a single repurposed classroom for over a decade.

Long-Standing Need

The school's head teacher said the lack of proper laboratory space had been one of the biggest obstacles to improving science performance at the school, with students often only seeing practical demonstrations rather than conducting experiments themselves due to space and safety constraints.

"For years our science teachers have had to choose which topics to demonstrate practically and which to simply teach in theory, because we did not have the space to do it safely," the head teacher said at the commissioning ceremony. "This block changes that completely."

District Officials Pledge Support

The district education officer, who attended the ceremony, commended the contractor for completing the work within the agreed timeline and urged the school administration to prioritise maintenance of the new facility.

Parents and local leaders who attended the event called for similar investment in other schools within the sub-county, noting that several nearby secondary schools still lack functional laboratories.

The school says the new block will be in full use starting next term, with science teachers currently undergoing a short orientation on the new equipment.