Ibis trains 416 volunteer teachers from East Gonja

Bimbilla (N/R), April 29, GNA - Teachers from the three Northern Regions have been urged to remain committed to improving the quality of education in those areas.

Addressing teacher volunteers at a workshop in Bimbilla at the weekend, Mr. Edward Gayuoni, East Gonja District Director of Education, said some districts in the three northern regions, particularly in the East Gonja, lacked adequate experienced and professional teachers to teach in the schools and that this was negatively affecting academic performance in the area.

He stressed the need for training volunteer teachers to meet the staffing challenges of the area.

The workshop, organised by Ibis as part of its 'Education for Empowerment' programme, aimed at improving the skills of teachers to help improve the declining education in the East Gonja District. It had some 411 participants, consisting untrained teachers from the district and volunteers from the Budumburam Refugee camp in the Central Region.

The World Teachers' Day Project, a Danish Teachers Union provided 27,000 dollars as funding for the workshop. Mr Eric Kavaarpuo, Ibis facilitator for the East Gonja District, said the training was necessitated by poor academic performance, inadequate teacher supply and the overall poor teaching and learning in the district.

He expressed the hope that the training programme would leave in its wake more teachers to fill vacancies in the district. Mr Dawuni Boadu, Vice Principal of the Bimbilla Training College, called for the enrolment of more volunteer teachers to augment the existing staff. 30 April 06