CePME pilots reading and spelling competition

The Centre for Performance Monitoring and Evaluation (CePME), a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), has introduced a reading and spelling competition to help boost the reading proficiency of pupils in the country.

The initiative, according to Professor Isaac Richard Amuah, the Executive Director of CePME, was to supplement efforts of the Ghana Education Service to improve standard of education especially in the area of reading.

Speaking at the grand finale of the pilot edition of the reading and spelling competition in the Suhum-Kraboa-Coaltar Municipality of the Eastern Region, he said the competition would be replicated in other districts where the NGO operates and later, nationwide.

He urged Parent Teacher Associations and School Management Committees to help create space in their schools to be used as library, promising that CePME would support them with some supplementary books.

While urging pupils to limit time spent watching television and playing video games, Professor Gyimah advised parents and guardians to ensure that their children make full use of the resources being invested in them.

Ms Patricia Birago Gyamfi, the Human Resource Officer of the Regional Education Directorate, reading a speech on behalf of the Regional Director of Education, said various assessments nationwide have shown that the country was struggling with child literacy.

She said the Ghana Education Service, as part of efforts to mitigate the situation, had introduced a number of interventions such as the use of local language as medium of instruction in basic schools.

Ms Gyamfi said reading was important especially at early stages of a child, saying, it helped them to become fluent, expand their vocabulary, concentrate better and acquire greater general knowledge.

Out of seven circuits comprising Suhum Central, Nankese, Akorabo, Kukua, Suhum East, Suhum West, and Suhum North; the latter emerged champion, sweeping away a trophy, reading materials and cash prize of GHC500.00.

The three most outstanding pupils also received cash prizes and various educational materials.