Rehabilitation starts on 80 schools

REHABILITATION works have begun on existing academic facilities in 80 schools in all the regions at a cost of ?6.2 billion.

The project also involves the construction of additional academic facilities and they are being funded with support from the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund).

This was contained in a document titled, “Activities and achievements of the Ministry of Education from January 2001 to date” made available to the Graphic.

The document named some of the projects which are being undertaken in eight schools in each region of the country as the rehabilitation of science, home economics and dormitory blocks, among others.

New facilities to be constructed include classroom blocks, latrines and septic tanks as well as the extension of electricity to some of the schools which are in dire need of such services.

The document mentioned some of the beneficiary schools as Aburi Girls, Mpraeso, Akim Swedru and Pope John secondary schools in the Eastern Region, and Twifo Praso, Assin Manso, Dunkwa and Diaso secondary schools in the Central Region.

Others are Prempeh College, St Monica’s, Tepa and Adu Gyamfi secondary schools in the Ashanti Region and Takoradi, Ahantaman, Archbishop Porter Girls and Huni Valley secondary school in the Western Region.

The rest are Accra Girls, Wesley Grammar, Labone, Aquinas, Ebenezer and Amansaman secondary schools in the Greater Accra and Jirapa, Kaleo, Wa, and Nandom secondary schools in the Upper West Region.

Speaking in an interview, the Deputy Minister of Education, Alhaji Rashid Bawa, said the project constitutes phase one, adding that the second phase will commence at a later date.

He said as much as the government would have liked to cover all the schools in each region, it is financially constrained.

Alhaji Bawa gave the assurance that as and when funds are available, the second phase will commence.

The document also stated that a masterplan for strengthening technical and vocational education in Ghana has been developed in collaboration with the Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA).

The study according to the document, is to recommend strategies for strengthening the technical/vocation education sub-sector with a view to achieving a cost-effective and flexible human resource development system adapted to the skill requirements of the labour market.