Capitation grant increases enrolment

Effiduase (Ash), Dec. 15, GNA 96 The Sekyere East District Directorate of Education received 970.2 million cedis as government capitation grant for the various basic schools in the district for the 2005/2006 academic year.

The grant has led to an increased enrolment from 32,341 to 34,681, representing 7.2 per cent.

Mr Oppong Boakye, an Assistant Director of Education at the directorate disclosed this at a durbar organised by the Ashanti Regional Chapter of the Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition (GNECC) at Effiduase in the Sekyere East district of Ashanti on Thursday. The durbar, attended by parents, teachers, school children, chiefs and assembly members, aimed at educating them about the benefits of the grant towards the development of education in the area. He said the grant had improved the performance of school children, adding that the district's performance in the Basic Education Certificate Examination improved from 50.2 per cent in 2005 to 51 per cent in 2006.

Mr Boakye stressed the need for teachers and School Management Committees (SMCs) to assist heads of basic schools in the preparation of their Performance Improve Plans (PIP) to enable them receive the grant. Mr John Kwadwo Owusu, Ashanti Regional Co-ordinator of the GNECC, said the objective of the Coalition was to ensure that all children of school-going age have access to education.

Mr Owusu appealed to parents to support the capitation grant by providing their wards with their basic needs like school uniforms, bags and others to enhance teaching and learning in schools. Mr Victor Agyabeng Boampong, Chairman of the District Committee of the GNECC, said the committee had toured all communities in the district to educate people to take advantage of the grant by sending their children to school.

Nana Osei Aboagye, Gyasehene of Effiduase, commended the government for introducing the grant and appealed to heads of basic schools to utilise it judiciously to improve education in the district.