PENSEC to build 900 million cedis girl's dormitory

Koforidua, Mar. 28 GNA - The Parent Teacher Association (PTA) of the Pentecost Secondary School at Koforidua on Saturday organised a fund-raising rally towards the construction of a 900 million cedi girls' dormitory for the school.

The mother Church of Pentecost is funding the project through contributions of 600 million cedis. The Koforidua Area branch of the church and the PTA would contribute 150 million cedis each. It is being undertaken jointly by the Church of Pentecost and the PTA to provide accommodation for 235 girls who are being housed in the Guestroom of the church, about four kilometres away from the school compound. The school established in February 2000 with 110 students now has a student population of 664 out of which 362 are girls with 325 of them boarders.

Speaking at the function, Mrs Felicia Duku, New Juaben Municipal Director of Education who commended the church and the PTA for their foresight, called on PTAs and philanthropists to assist materially and financially in the development of educational facilities to improve the standards of education since the government alone could not shoulder all the responsibilities. She asked the students to be disciplined and to take their studies seriously and desist from negative tendencies such as pre-marital sex in order not to avoid contracting the HIV/AIDS disease.

Mrs Duku stressed the need for parents to invest in the education of their children and refrain from using their money to purchase expensive things, noting that irresponsible parentage led children to indulge in social vices like armed robbery, teenage pregnancy and pre-marital sex. The Headmaster, Mr John Afari Agyire expressed appreciation to the church and the PTA for their contribution to the school.

The Chairman of the PTA, Mr Kofi Abinah said levies of 250,000 cedis had been imposed on each parent towards the project and appealed to them to pay promptly. He said the PTA had also instituted an annual bonus for teachers to motivate them to perform, while poly tanks, corn and tomatoes mills, a library and a kitchen had been provided for the school. Mrs Gyimah Sekyere, Manager of Pentecost schools asked Ghanaians to use their talents for the development of the nation. She expressed the hope that both the church and the PTA would contribute financially towards the project.

More than 28 million cedis was realised in an appeal for funds towards the project.