Provide infrastructure for less endowed schools - Prof Yankah

Agona Kwanyako (C/R), March 18, GNA - Professor Kwesi Yankah, Dean of the Faculty of Arts of the University of Ghana has appealed to the Ministry of Education and Sports to provide adequate infrastructure for to less endowed schools in rural areas to absorb Junior Secondary School students.

He was Speaking at the first speech and prize-giving day at the Agona Kwanyako Secondary Technical School at Kwanyako.

Prof Yankah noted that in spite of the lack of facilities in such schools their students were not given preferential treatment and competed with their colleagues on the same basis for progression to the next stage of the education ladder.

Prof Yankah stated that "if you are born in the rural areas, your destiny is struggle and hardship; and if you are born and bred in the urban setting, your destiny is good and easy life".

He pointed out that this accounted for the drift from rural to urban areas and the rush for admission into secondary schools in the cities. Prof Yankah expressed concern about the limited hostel facilities at the school.

Prof Yankah commended the universities for waking up to their social responsibilities and reserving a certain percentage of their admissions for students from less endowed schools.

He noted for instance that the University of Ghana last year reserved over 400 slots to students from such schools and further granted such students exemption in the payment of Academic Facility User Fees while the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) had a similar programme.

Mr Kweku Yeboah, Headmaster of the School said enrolment dropped drastically in 1990 to 15 and was nearly closed down, adding that, the population increased in 2001/2002 and now had 415 students.

He appealed to the Ministry of Education and Sports and other organisations to assist the school, which lacked classrooms, a modern science laboratory, library, administrative block and other facilities.