Enrolment triples in primary school

Amoam-Achiase (Ash), Aug 17, GNA - Enrolment has tripled in the Amoam-Achiase primary school in the Ejisu-Juaben district when the government school feeding programme kicked off on a pilot basis about four months ago.

Miss Elizabeth Peprah, the head teacher, who spoke to the GNA on Wednesday, said more than 600 pupils are now enrolled from the pre-school to the primary level.

She said the figure which represented about three times the number of pupils on roll before the capitation grant and subsequent school feeding programme, has called for the need for more classrooms and other school infrastructure in anticipation of more pupils who would be enrolled later.

Miss Peprah confessed that the school bedevilled with low enrolment was just on the verge of collapse, "but thanks to the feeding programme which has attracted pupils from peripheral villages, who have enrolled in the school to save it from collapse".

She said most of the new entrants had to be repeated in kindergarten three and primary one since in spite of their ages, their academic performances were not up to standard.

"We had to repeat them to give them a better foundation which would prepare them adequately for the next class", she added. She said the new entrants have also been separated from those already in school and special classes are being run for them to improve their standards.

Most pupils the GNA spoke to, revealed that they worked on farms and served as house helps because their parents could not pay their school fees.

One pupil who pleaded anonymity expressed how happy she was since she now goes home fully satisfied, adding, "sometimes I do not bother about lunch or super, especially when it is not there".