THE CONSCIOUSNESS OF STUDENTS ON PROPER WASTE DISPOSAL IN BONGO SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL OF THE BONGO DISTRICT OF THE UPPER EAST REGION OF GHANA

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the consciousness of students on proper waste disposal at Bongo Senior High School in the Bongo District of the Upper East Region of Ghana. Qualitative research strategies were employed to collect and analyze the data for the study. The case study design was used to assess the phenomenon. The Convenience Sampling method was used to select six (6) teachers and twenty (20) students from the school for the study. An open ended interview schedule was used for face-to-face in-depth interviews. The study revealed a number of things, including the fact that there had been awareness campaigns on waste disposal in the school but the campaigns were not effective to inculcate proper waste disposal and management strategies in the students for which reason the attitude of students towards proper waste disposal was generally poor. The study also revealed that the District Education Directorate did not play their requisite role in helping the school to be aware of the management of waste. Some activities of students that contributed to the generation of waste in the school included laziness in dropping waste into dust bins. There were inadequate waste disposal strategies in the school and many other findings. Based on these findings, the study recommended among other things that more sensitisation programmes needed to be organized by the authorities of the school with the support of the District Education Directorate, Zoomlion Limited and the District Health Directorate to increase students’ awareness of proper waste disposal.