"Education Is A Ticket Out Of Poverty" -Osei

Ghana’s envoy to the UK, H.E. Mr Isaac Osei has stressed the determination of the NPP Government to continue to pursue policies and programmes that would eventually strengthen and raise the standard of education in the country.

Toward this end, Mr. Osei said the Government was channelling a lot of resources to the basic education level to expand access, improve quality of teaching and learning and also provide infrastructural facilities to secure a sound foundation for education.

He said it was within this context that the Government had initiated steps to ensure that every district in the country would have at least one well-resourced school facility comparable to that of the well-endowed schools.

High Commissioner Osei emphasised that Government would not deviate from its stance and would ensure its vision for the prosperity of nation through all - embracing sound education for all sons and daughters of the nation no matter where they reside, was realised.

He described education as “a ticket out poverty”, and stressed that investment in education was worth pursuing by all Ghanaians.

The High Commissioner made these comments during discusions with the Mayor of Lambeth, Councillor June Fewtrell and officials of the Local Education Authority to celebrate the mutually beneficial links between schools in Ghana and Lambeth.

He was optimistic that the school links project which had been forged by schools in Lambeth and Ghana would lead to the enrichment of curriculum between schools in both countries and added that the Government would continue to encourage such far-reaching projects which would contribute towards raising the standard of education in Ghana.

Mayor Fewtrell praised Ghana for the goodwill the country continued to enjoy in the international community as a result of prevailing stability in the country.

She said she was delighted with the determination of schools in the Lambeth area to mobilise equipment and materials for use in schools in Ghana.

Present at the ceremony were Hon. Joe Baidoe Ansah, MP for Takoradi, Mrs. Emelia Aning, Minister Counsellor/Education, Mr. Fritz Andoh, Minister Counsellor/Information and Mr. Patrick Kwadu of the UK Department of Trade. Others were Ms. Phyllis Dunipace, Interim Executive Director of Education, Councillor Anthony Bottrall, Mr. Daniel Akata-Pore, Mr. Adam Blackie, Ms. Feyisa Demie and Mrs. Christabel Mclean-Bacchus, all of the Lambeth Local Authority of the Lambeth Council.

After the ceremony, High Commissioner Osei accompanied by Mayor Fewtrell paid a familiarision visit to the Stockwell and St. Jude’s primary schools in Lambeth which have seventy percent of pupils from the black and minority ethnic groups including Ghana.

Seven Lambeth Schools are actively supporting the School Links Project. One of these schools, St. John’s (Angell Town) Church of England Primary School, has established links to a school in Takoradi in Ghana’s Western Region.

This followed a visit by Christabel McLean, LEA Education Advisor, and Paul Shepherd, head-teacher of St. John’s primary school. Two teachers from St. John’s will be visiting Korsah Complex School in Takoradi, Ghana in June, 2003 to share curriculum expertise, especially in ICT with their colleagues.

A further linking visit by teachers from other Lambeth Schools is planned for October 2003 with a group of nursery teachers visiting Ghana, as part of the British Council funded Teachers’ International Professional Development Programme during the autumn half term break.

Meanwhile, the Lambeth Local Education (LEA) is in a process of donating a vast amount of second hand school furniture, equipment, teaching materials, books, other resources and computers for schools in the Sekondi Takoradi Metropolis and at the village of Komfoeku.