Qualitative Adequacy of Students Hostels in Wa, Ghana

Abstract

This study sought to assess the adequacy levels of some purpose-built hostels around the Wa campus of the UDS to meet the growing students' population in the Wa township. It sought to find out the qualitative adequacy levels of the accommodation provided by these private hostels and how the accommodation provided by the private sector adequately supports the educational needs and requirements of students. It also sought to identify the key housing attributes and services (facilities) whose improvement will enhance the level of satisfaction derived from these hostels. It was a post-occupancy evaluation based on survey questionnaires of 31 housing attributes. A five-point Likert scale was used in measuring the qualitative adequacy levels of five purpose-built hostels. The data was analysed with descriptive statistical techniques. Respondents found the hostels fairly adequate for academic purposes. No hostel was either very inadequate or very adequate. The building component attributes rated were mainly found to be adequate whiles the ancillary services needed by students were mostly found fairly adequate. Fire safety and internet services were found to be inadequate and contributed least to the overall adequacy of the hostels. The results suggest the need for regulation in the planning, design and construction of hostels in Wa since about one-half of the attributes used were generally rated fair and none found very adequate. Fire safety is critical in students housing due to the multitenant nature of hostels. This was however found inadequate; necessitating urgent attention to avert any future disaster.

Fire Emergency Safety Preparedness in the College of Leadership Development Studies Building in Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria

“…This result agrees with the findings of Olufemi [7] who discovered that firefighting equipment are not adequate in most tertiary institutions in Nigeria. This finding also supports the view of Amaniampong, Ameyaw & Akortsu [6] who noted that the role of the development of educational infrastructure in tertiary institutions is often ambivalent to the functionality of facilities during a fire outbreak. The authors noted that planning and building regulations often fail to prioritize the improvement of fire safety adequacy to increase the level of satisfaction obtained from using such environments.…”

“…According to Cote [24], fire emergency safety plans are important as they influence the level of preparedness in case of a fire disaster. Fire safety preparedness or the lack thereof affects the psyche of building occupants, especially in areas where there have been incessant cases of fire outbreaks [6]. Based on the general findings of the study, it is apparent that the fire safety emergency preparedness of the CLDS building is low, both from the angle of the active and passive fire safety measures provided and from the users' knowledge of basic fire emergency safety protocols.…”

“…To therefore guide against the outbreak and spread of fire in buildings, it is important to adhere to fire protection measures. Fire safety preparedness is a key indicator that reflects the living standards and the extent to which a user's socio-economic and comfort needs have been met [6]. It is important to make sure that the measures provided are in good working condition.…”

“…To effectively respond to fire disasters, it is important to plan for coordinated measures that would curtail damage. In a study by Amaniampong, Ameyaw & Akortsu [6], the authors stated that building developers and management officials should regularly carry out exercises that determine the quality of building components such as firefighting equipment and services that facilitate prompt escape and safety in case of a fire emergency. According to Kapoor [28], practical strategies which can be achieved with the available resources should be assessed, decided upon by the building management and implemented.…”

“…For instance, an educational institution in Kenya known as Kyanguli School, experienced an intense fire where 58 persons died as fire gutted a building in the school at night in 2001 [5]. In Wa, Ghana, it was reported that most multitenant facilities for students within the area had hostels that were not fortified with adequate facilities such as fire protection measures [6]. This puts the health and safety of students in jeopardy.…”