Wenchi GES provides uniforms, educational materials to needy pupils

Banda-Ahenkro (B/A), March 24, GNA - The Wenchi District Directorate of Education has under the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETfund) scholarship scheme distributed school uniforms and other educational materials valued at 110 million cedis to 1,137 needy children throughout the District

The beneficiaries made up of 682 girls and 455 boys in both primary and Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) were selected from the various communities of the 15 educational circuits of the District. The District Director of Education Mr. George Amanor-Kyeremeh, who presented the items to the pupils and students at a meeting of teachers and parents at Banda-Ahenkro on Tuesday explained that such incentive package was part of the government's efforts to offer support towards the education of the needy children.

Mr. Amanor-Kyeremeh said for the past 10 years, during the inception of the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) programme, the Department of International Development (DFID), a British Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) had been funding the provision of similar packages to such children to supplement the government's efforts at promoting education. He commended DFID and the other donor agencies for their support and contributions towards the education of the youth.

Mr. Amanor-Kyeremeh expressed concern about the health of a 12-year-old primary two pupil from Banda-Ahenkro, Miss Amma Yeboah, who was born with a congenital eye problem, which had impaired her vision. He said the little girl had also lost both parents. The District Director announced that his outfit had felt for the plight of the girl and therefore provided one million cedis to help her undergo a screening and eye treatment at the Sunyani Eye Centre for her to obtain medication and spectacles to correct her vision.

Mr Amanor-Kyeremeh stressed the need for parents to appreciate the efforts of the government in supporting them with the education of their wards and ensure that all children of school-going age in the communities were enrolled in schools to help address the illiteracy problem of the area.

He deplored the negative practices of some parents from the area who very often allowed their daughters to stop school and push them into early marriages or even encouraged them to travel to neighbouring countries for material gains. He announced that it has been the policy of the government to support the education of children in the kindergartens and charged unit committees, School Management Committees (Sacs) and Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) to open more kindergartens.