GES Suspends Classes at Accra Newtown Experimental School Following Deadly Collapse | Discuss Ghana

On Monday morning, March 30, 2026, the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Prof. Ernest Kofi Davis, officially ordered the suspension of all academic activities at the Accra Newtown Experimental D/A School.

The directive follows the tragic collapse of an uncompleted four-storey building on the school's premises during a Sunday service, which resulted in three deaths and 20 injuries.

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GES Safety Directives & Emergency Meeting

Prof. Davis, who visited the site for a security briefing with local authorities early Monday, emphasized that student safety is the absolute priority:

Stay-Away Order: Students and staff have been instructed not to report to the school until a full safety clearance is issued.

Emergency Meeting: The GES will convene an urgent meeting today with regional and national teams, including the GES Estate Department, to determine the next steps for the school.

Structural Verification: Prof. Davis stated that experts will conduct a thorough audit of all remaining structures on the campus to ensure they are safe for use.

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The "Abandoned" Infrastructure Crisis

The collapse has reignited a fierce national debate over the state of educational infrastructure:

A 14-Year Legacy: Reports from NADMO indicate the collapsed building was an abandoned GETFund project initiated in 2012.

Structural Warnings: Prof. Davis previously warned just ten days ago that a "weak foundation would undermine the entire education system," drawing a direct comparison to buildings that cannot stand without a solid base.

Audit of All Schools: Following the "National Reset" policy, the GES has been restructuring its Schools and Instruction Division to better monitor foundational safety and infrastructure quality.

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Incident Snapshot: March 30, 2026

Metric	Latest Figure
School Status	Closed Indefinitely.
Total Involved	23 People.
Fatalities	3 (2 females, 1 male).
Rescued Alive	20 (Including 3 minors).
Lead Official	Prof. Ernest Kofi Davis (Director-General, GES).

"We cannot build if the foundation is weak. Students must not return until the safety of every single school structure is fully verified." — Prof. Ernest Kofi Davis.