Disability Fund would be used judiciously

Agona Swedru (C/R), June 9, GNA - The Agona District Assembly would use five per cent of the District Assemblies=92 Common Fund (DACF) meant for the Disability Fund to support the physically challenged in the District.

The District Chief Executive, Mr Ben Mensah said; "gone were the days where nobody saw what the five per cent of the DACF was being used for the betterment of persons with disabilities".

Mr Mensah, who was speaking at the first open day celebration of the Salvation Army School for Deaf at Agona Swedru, said some of the fund would be allotted to the School for the procurement of computers, teaching materials and other things to enhance teaching and learning. He paid tribute to the Salvation Army Church for its sense of direction and responsibility towards children with disability and for establishing the school.

The DCE said the capitation grant had assisted many parents, who could not send their children to school to do so, adding that this could take away many children from social evil such armed robbery, alcoholism, stealing and drug abuse.

Mr Chris Dowona Hammond, District Director of Education, said Ghana Education Service (GES) attached great importance to the development of Special Education.

He said GES would do everything possible to enhance the education of children with disability adding that the Government and Ministry of Education, Science and Sports had put in place effective measures to ensure that those children advanced in education. Ms Favour Aflakpui, Headmistress of the School, appealed to the West Africa Examination Council to take a second look at the performance of special schools at the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) level and ensure that their papers were marked by teachers teaching in these schools.

She appealed to the Central Government, nongovernmental organization and philanthropists to help the School to acquire a bus to convey the children to school.

Nana Kojo Frempong, Chairman of the Finance and Administration Sub-Committee of Agona District Assembly, who chaired the function, praised teachers in the School for their hard work and dedication to duty.

He appealed to the parents of children with disability to have confidence and send them to school 93since disability is not inability=94, adding that if the disabled children were educated they would go begging for alms on the streets in the cities and towns. 9 June 06