Stakeholders sensitised on education in Oti Region

Two Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) have organised a two-day sensitisation programme in both Krachi East Municipality and Krachi Nchumuru District to discuss the continuous falling standard of education in the region and plans to reverse the trend.

The NGOs are the Afram Plains Development Organisation (APDO) and United Purpose, a UK based NGO with funding from Big Lottery Fund.

Speaking at the workshop, Mr Awudu Yakubu Omoro Modoc, the Executive Director (ED) of APDO said, a research conducted by the Ghana Education Service, using scorecards indicated that performance in schools in the Krachi East Municipality and the Nchumuru District were low, hence the need for the workshop.

He assured that the two organisations would do all they could to ensure that the standard of education in the area was raised through a partnership with other organisations and philanthropists.

He said the two institutions had contributed to the improvement of education in many deprived communities across the Kwahu Afram Plains Districts, the Krachi East Municipality and the Krachi Nchumuru District of which books, reading materials and bicycles were donated to some selected schools and pupils who travelled long distances to access quality education.

Mr Modoc assured of their continuous support to schools in their catchment areas and called on other NGOs and philanthropists to collaborate with them to help improve education in the country.

Mr Samuel Sawson Lartey, the Head of Supervision from the Ghana Education Service (GES) in the Krachi East Municipality attributed the falling standards of education in the area to the lack of funds from the various Assemblies to provide infrastructure such as computer laboratories, accommodation for teachers closer to schools especially those in the hinterlands, Teaching Learning Materials (TLMs) among others.

He said the Municipality had 89 schools, but none of the schools had access to computer laboratory to assist the pupil in the field of ICT.

He, therefore, appealed to the Municipal Assembly to provide adequate infrastructure such as Kindergarten blocks, teaching and learning materials among others to enhance education in the area.

Madam Juliet Lampoh, the Country Director of United Purpose used the opportunity to advise parents to prioritise their wards’ education and should not depend on the government for developmental projects in their communities.

She urged the various Assemblies to let quality education be their utmost priority by providing the necessary needs and opportunity to promote education in their jurisdiction.

Ms Lompoh gave the assurance that, based on the scorecards indications received from GES, the communities and the Assemblies, would engage in consultation with the various stakeholders so that the necessary action plans could be featured into their development plan and budget.