VOLAY TOWN, Nimba County — Representative Taa Wongbe of Electoral District Number 9, Nimba county has officially dedicated the newly constructed Volay Public School during a colorful ceremony on the Saclepea–Tappita Highway over the weekend, urging residents to safeguard and take ownership of the facility so it will benefit current and future generations.
By D. Franklin Doloquee
The bright, freshly painted compound features six classrooms arranged around a swept central courtyard, two administrative offices — one for the principal and one for the registrar — and a modest entrance veranda where guests gather.
Students, parents and elders filled the compound; children in neat but simple uniforms clustered near the doorway, their faces lighting up as stacks of new book bags, copybooks and pencils were laid out on a table for distribution.
“Volay, this is your school. Take ownership of it,” Representative Wongbe told assembled residents, teachers and community leaders.
He appealed to parents and local stakeholders to protect the building and to work with his office and the Ministry of Education to ensure the facility remain functional and well-staffed.
“Build the walls, yes, but it takes all of us to fill the rooms with knowledge,” he said.
A handover and symbolic key presentation formalized the transfer of responsibility to community representatives.
Local officials and a Ministry of Education delegation praised the initiative, while education staff urged coordinated follow-through recruitment of qualified teachers, steady supply of learning materials, timely registration of pupils and maintenance of the site.
The six classrooms are painted in light, inviting colors and designed to provide safer, cleaner and more conducive learning spaces than the dilapidated structures some children previously attended.
The courtyard will double as an assembly area and play space.
Local volunteers, already organized into a cleanup committee, promised to contribute to minor maintenance and security while calling for continued support from county education authorities.
Parents at the dedication described immediate benefits. Children who once walked long distances or missed class to help on family farms now have a closer, reliable place of learning.
Community leaders said the school could reduce teenage dropouts and open pathways to further education or vocational training.
A village elder noted that easier access to daily instruction will help restore regular school attendance among children who had left school because of poor facilities.
During the ceremony, Representative Wongbe distributed school supplies to more than forty pupils, each receiving a bag containing copybooks and pencils.
Several students performed songs and recitations and elders offered brief remarks thanking the representative for addressing a long-standing need in Volay Town and surrounding communities.
Representative Wongbe said the school was constructed through his office as part of ongoing efforts to expand access to basic education across Nimba County.
He emphasized that infrastructure alone is not enough, saying “we must pair this building with qualified teachers, learning materials and community commitment if we want improved outcomes.”
Ministry of Education officials reiterated that sustained learning outcomes will require collaboration among government, lawmakers and communities.
They encouraged prompt registration of students and the placement of trained teachers to ensure the new classrooms are put into full use.
The Volay Public School is expected to serve not only children of Volay but also pupils from neighboring towns and villages, widening access to basic education across the area.
Registration is opened and local education authorities expect enrollment to continue in the coming weeks as families prepare for the new term.
As the dedication closed, parents and youths mingled under the shade of a nearby tree, mapping plans for school committees, security shifts and volunteer-led maintenance.
Meanwhile, the scene captured a community ready to steward a resource they hope will change the future for their children.
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