Accra, Sept. 19, GNA -- Professor Mike Oquaye, Minister of Communications and Member of Parliament for Dome Kwabenya, on Tuesday said a computer laboratory and a library would soon be constructed for schools in his constituency.
He said 600 million cedis from his share of the MPs Common Fund had been set aside to start the project which would be constructed at the Atomic Site.
This, he said, would enable the schools in his constituency to study to improve on their knowledge and be computer literate. Professor Oquaye was interacting with pupils of selected schools in his constituency during a visit to present gifts and encourage them to study hard, especially the class one pupils on their first day at school.
The occasion marked 93My First Day at School Festival=94, an initiative of the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports and the Ghana Education Service (GES) to welcome and interact with the new entrants to basic schools in the country.
The objective is to increase access, retention and completion of school at the basic level.
Schools the Minister visited were Kwabenya Atomic District Assembly School, Taifa Community School, Dome Cluster of Schools and the Islamic Council for Development and Humanitarian Services (ICODEHS) basic schools.
The Minister said this year's capitation grant for basic schools had been increased by 10 per cent to the tune of 160 billion cedis and called on parents to take advantage of it and enrol their children in school.
He said the large number of new entrants was a good sign that the programme was a success and called on the school authorities not to turn any child away because the classes were choked.
He said temporary structures would be provided for the schools to take care of the large numbers until a permanent solution was found to the infrastructure and furniture problems.
Professor Oquaye urged the children to cultivate good character, study hard, obey their parents and teachers. He also told them not to sacrifice their education for television and video.
=93The child is the father of the man, meaning today's child is tomorrow's father and there is the need to be well trained to become responsible citizens in the future.'
Mrs Margaret Nana Attu, Headmistress of the Dome District Assembly School, said the school had not had any renovation for a long time. Some of the roofs had been removed, there is no Staff Common Room and residents intruded on the privacy of the school as they used the compound as a path.
Mr. Felix Agbenyega, Assistant Head Teacher of the ICODEHS Basic Schools, said sanitary conditions in the school were poor, the furniture had deteriorated and there was no football field for the children. The Minister was accompanied by Mrs Elizabeth Amoako Enimil, Ga East District Director of Education and Mr Nicholas Owusu, Public Relations Officer of the District Office.
