DfID assists in the construction of 185 classroom blocks

Accra, Nov. 21, GNA - The British Government through its Department for International Development (DfID) of the United Kingdom is funding the construction of 185 classroom blocks in the Northern, Upper West and Upper East Regions.

The projects are being undertaken jointly with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, under the Education Sector Support Programme (ESSP) and would be completed by January 2004.

Each classroom block would consist of three classrooms, library, headteacher's office and a storeroom. It would be provided with furniture, water tank and toilets.

A release from the Press and Public Affairs Section, of the British High Commission in Accra on Friday said Dr Rod Pullen, British High Commissioner had already inaugurated one of such blocks for the Woribogu-Kabonayili Zion Primary School in the Tolon/Kumbungu District of Northern Region.

Dr Pullen reiterated the United Kingdom's continued commitment and support for Ghana.

He said "The UK is the largest bilateral donor to Ghana with 65 million pounds sterling per annum and education is a major element of this support"

The release said programme was in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, and the Regional and District Authorities and focuses on primary education and delivers the widest benefit to local communities.

It said the building of these schools in some of the poorest regions brings two direct benefits to the local communities, the first being the economic benefit, since over 95 per cent of the project money was spent to hire local contractors and labour and to procure local materials to build the schools.

The second and long-term benefit was the provision of a well-built learning centre providing primary education for the children of the local community, who were the foundations and future for any community.

The ESSP is a British Government funded programme launched in July 1998 to support basic education, as set out in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MOEYS), Free and Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) Policy.

The value of the grant is 50 million pounds sterling of which 40 million pounds sterling had been disbursed, largely through direct budget support to the MOEYS.

The remaining funds would be disbursed by June 2005.