WAEC reaches out to deprived schools with supplementary readers

Tsiyinu-Ando (V/R), March 09, GNA- The West African Examinations Council's (WAEC) Endowment Fund would this year supply 500 dollars worth of supplementary English readers to 10 deprived schools throughout the country.

Mr Justice Ansa-Asare, the Volta Regional Director of Examinations of the Council, said this when he presented 100 copies of such books to the Tsiyinu-Ando L.A. Primary School in the South-Dayi District. "Over the next five years, one school in each region will benefit from this scheme", he said.

Mr Ansa-Asare explained that the scheme was as a result of the Chief Examiner's report on candidates' performance in English Language over the years with the hope that the books would help address some of the issues raised in the reports. He said the WAEC expected opinion leaders, school authorities and parents to encourage pupils of the beneficiary schools to read the books.

"Teachers should find creative ways of whipping up the pupils' interest in reading... by helping them to dramatize some of the stories, or narrating in class what they have read", Mr Ansa-Asare recommended. Mr Richard Zigah, Co-ordinator of Physical Education Programmes at the District Directorate of the Ghana Education Service, told the pupils that their ability to climb the education ladder depended on their ability to read, understand and communicate well in the English Language.

This is because all subjects are written in that language and it is in that language also that all their examination questions would be set and answered.

An elated Mr Bedson Beli, Secretary to the school Implementation Committee described the donation as a "wonderful assistance to a deprived community, it's beyond our imagination". Mr Felix Gbedege, who had been Head-teacher of the school for the past nine years told the Ghana News Agency, (GNA), that the school had been in a dire need of such books and that the pupils could now read in their spare time.

He said with the 100 readers each of the 66 pupils in the school would have the opportunity to acquire and develop the habit of reading and reading skills.

Mr Gbedege appealed to WAEC to canvass for assistance from non-governmental organizations to assist the community to complete its school block that had been at a standstill for lack of funds. The school comprises of a cluster of four thatched sheds and two weak swish buildings serving as head-teacher's office and store.