Schools in Gomoa receive teaching materials

Apam (C/R), Dec 18, GNA P-Opportunity Education Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) has donated audio-visual teaching materials worth about 48,000 dollars to 16 schools in Gomoa East and West Districts.

The organization which was founded by Mr Joe Rickets, an American businessman is to make quality educational opportunities accessible to children in developing countries and also to provide technological materials to assist teachers in lesson delivery. Fifty-five schools nationwide had benefited from the gesture. Mr Akwasi Addae-Boahene, a representative of the organization in Ghana and Mrs Abena Acheampong, General Manager of Students and Youth Travel Organization (SYTO) and a facilitator of Opportunity Education Foundation programmes presented the items to the schools on behalf of the organization. The items include a television set, DVD player and recorded cassettes, charts, flash cards and many others. Mr Addae-Boahene appealed to teachers of the beneficiary schools to use the materials wisely to provide quality education which the donor aimed at.

He urged them to handle the materials carefully to make them to last for a longer period, and cautioned them against the use of the television set and the DVD player for private programmes which had no bearing on education. Mrs. Acheampong explained that the Opportunity Education Curriculum was designed for pre-primary and primary-one children. She said the curriculum was generic as it was intended for use in many countries and added that by the end of this year about 1,000 schools worldwide might have been roped into the programme. Mrs Acheampong said sister school partnership could be established through the programme.

Mrs Beatrice Lokko, Gomoa District Director of Education said the value of the materials could only be appreciated if they were used to improve standard in the schools. She expressed concern about the abuse of sister school and pen-pal relationships to paint gloomy pictures about the nation and the citizens and advised teachers to guard against that.

Mrs. Lokko thanked the donors for the gesture and said the education directorate was faced with many challenges which needed the intervention of more donor partners. Nana Edu Effirim X, Chief of Apam expressed concern about the last Basic Education Certificate Examination results of the schools which placed the district at the bottom of the regional ratings. He called on all stakeholders to find means of saving education in the area from nose-diving. Heads of the schools, Parent-Teacher Association and School Management Committee Chairmen received the items on behalf of the school. 18 Dec. 08 ATTENTION RECIPIENTS: ITEM 15 ENDS OUR THIRD TRANSMISSION