Churches urged to establish more schools

Lume-Atsyame (V/R), June 16, GNA - Most Reverend Francis A.K. Lodonu, Catholic Bishop of Ho, has called on churches to consider establishing more schools in their domain.

He said by doing so, they would be contributing to the transformation of the people.

Bishop Lodonu said this when he inaugurated a nursery and kindergarten block for Lume-Atsyame Roman Catholic Basic School.

The 209,000-Ghana-Cedi facility was sponsored by Kindermissionswerk, an organisation based in Germany.

Bishop Lodonu said it was not enough for churches to concentrate solely on the creation of new branches, but it was important to ensure that the educational needs of the people were met.

He said early churches like the Evangelical Presbyterian and Roman Catholic, knowing the importance of education, established schools for many communities and towns in the Volta Region, adding that this effort must be a sustained.

Bishop Lodonu said, the Ho Diocese of the Catholic Church, for example, has 98 kindergartens, 96 primary schools and 43 junior high schools.

He said such investments could save the country from “religious and moral bankruptcy”.


Source: GNA

Ghana's Maths and Science ranking based on 2011 data

Accra, June 17, GNA – The Global Educational ranking that placed Ghana at the bottom of 76 nations in Science and Mathematics, was based on a 2011 Data, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, Education Minister said on Tuesday.

The ranking was done by the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).

Speaking at the Meet the Press series in Accra, Prof Opoku-Agyemang said although Ghana did not take part in PISA, its data from the 2011 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) was re-scaled onto the PISA scale.

This, she said, raised a number of concerns, which were tabled for discussion and analysis at the World Education Forum 2015 held at Incheon, Korea.

Prof Opoku-Agyemang, who was speaking on the State of Education in Ghana, said the report sought to highlight a global problem of the low scores of students in Mathematics and Science, especially in the low income countries.

She said the strategy adopted by the authors, appeared to be selective to enable them to achieve their aim of linking the country’s economic status with that of the performance in Mathematics and Science.

The Minister said the strategy further raised a lot of questions because it failed to recognize that Ghana’s scores in TIMSS since 2003 had improved over the years.

She said the argument was that the quality of schooling in a country was a powerful indicator of the wealth that those countries would produce in the long run.

The Minister noted that the report was intended to influence debate over development goals, and to facilitate the adoption of target that ensured that all 15 year olds achieved basic level of skills.

She said the report received mixed reactions from the Forum.

“While some thought it was meant for rich countries, that it was contextually inappropriate for poor countries and that it gives an incomplete picture of what education is; others thought it made the important point that access alone will not guarantee a country’s prosperity and that of the world,” Prof Opoku-Agyemang stated.

“Its conclusions were therefore enough to propel the world into action as some rich OECD and non-OECD countries also fell significantly below PISA score points in Mathematics and Science,” she added.

Other countries in the lowest ranks together with Ghana were Oman, Morocco, Honduras, and South Africa which were ranked 72, 73, 74 and 75 respectively.

She said for Ghana, the report emphasized the challenges Government had already identified as far as students learning outcomes in Mathematics and Science were concerned.

In that regard, she observed that governments over the years had introduced interventions to address the challenge, which she said, included the rigorous re-training of teachers in Science and Mathematics, including plans to establish centres for the training of Science and Mathematics teachers in basic schools.

Others are the rehabilitation of existing science resource centres, to train teachers at both the basic and secondary levels of education, basic school computerization programme, leading to the supply of computers and accessories to schools and teachers.

Source: GNA

Asabedie gets new school complex

Asabedie (E/R), June 16, GNA - Mr Antwi-Boasiako Sekyere, Eastern Regional Minister, has commissioned a six-unit classroom complex, at the cost of GH¢ 20,4200 for the Asabedie District Assembly(D/A) Basic School in the Akyemansa District of the Eastern Region.

Work on the facility, comprising a library, an office, and a toilet, with funding from the GETFUND, started in August 2014, and completed in May 2015.

Mr Antwi-Boasiako advised people in the area to take education seriously, and urged children in the community to take advantage of the facility to learn, be obedient, and come out as good citizens to contribute towards the development of their communities.

The commissioning formed part of a three-day working visit of the Regional Minister to the Birim South, Akyemansa and the Birim North Districts

Mr Tom Budu, the District Chief Executive (DCE), advised the youth of the area to use the knowledge acquired for the benefit of the residents.

He thanked government for adding the district to the LEAP programme, which he said, would cater for 1,200 elderly people in the district.

Nana Kwesi Dadzi, Odikro of Asabedie, was grateful for the facility, and appealed for computers to enable the students to become computer literates.

He appealed for the provision of reception for mobile telephone services in the community, to promote business activities.

Mr Antwi-Boasiako also visited an ICT facility at Ofoase, and inspected the 14-kilometre road stretch from Chia through Ofoase to Ayirebi, which is under construction.

The cost of the project to be completed within 14 months, is 16.2 million Ghana Cedis.

As part of his working tour, the Minister also commissioned a National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) Office at Akyem Awisa, inspected a classroom block under construction at the Akim Swedru Presbyterian School, a school project at Akyem Awisa Presbyterian Boarding School, and a school building under construction at Akim Asawase Methodist School, all in the Birim South District.

Mr Antwi-Boasiako in an interaction with the heads of department in the districts, urged public servants to be principled, determined and exhibit professionalism and commitment in their work, to ensure that the country moved forward

Source: GNA

Sunyani Municipal Director of Education Takes Over Printing Of Exam Papers

The Sunyani Municipal Education Director of Education in the Brong Ahafo Region, Ms Mary Gyimah, has taken over the printing of examination papers for all basic schools under her jurisdiction.

Information gathered by The Finder reveals that the director has contracted the Centre for Performance Monitoring and Evaluation (CPME), based in Accra, to supply examination questions to all schools in the Sunyani Municipality.

The director contracted the company to supply the questions last term but the company was unable to deliver at the end of the second term, compelling teachers to write questions on the chalkboard.

Because of this situation, most heads of schools in the municipality decided to opt out and set their examination questions as they used to do.

However, the Municipal Director, Ms Mary Gyimah, met the heads of the schools recently and warned those who want to opt out to either resign as heads of the schools or go and establish their own schools.

Previously, the schools set and printed their own examination questions. What The Finder gathered is that the schools are paying more for the exam questions compared to what they were spending when they set their own examination questions.

Some heads have to contract loans in order to pay the examination fees to the Municipal Education Directorate because some of the pupils cannot afford and they have to pay based on the population of the school.

Pupils in the Junior High School (JHS) are paying GH₵3.50 while pupils in the primary are also paying GH₵2.50.

Most of the heads are tight-lipped for fear of losing their position. A head teacher who spoke to The Finder on condition of anonymity said the new policy is putting pressure on them.

“My school used to spend between GH₵500 and GH₵600 on exam but now we have to pay GH₵1,200 for the exam.

“Last term, CPME was supposed to have supplied us with the questions but they failed in bringing them, compelling us to write our questions on the chalkboard. Most of the pupils cannot pay so I have to get money to pay for them because we have to pay based on the population of the school,” he revealed.

The heads are, therefore, calling on the Deputy Minister of Education in charge of Basic Education, Alex Kyeremeh, to intervene because the situation is not going to help in education delivery in the Sunyani Municipality. Efforts to get the director to speak on the issue have not been successful as she declined an interview.


Source: The Finder

Nsawam-Adoagyiri Municipal Director of Education bans canning/extra classes

Nsawam, June 10, GNA - Mrs Jane Sabina Obeng, Nsawam-Adoagyiri Municipal Director of Education, has banned canning of school children and extra classes within the Municipality.

She said extra classes would be allowed for only Junior High School students due to the forthcoming BECE Examination.

Mrs Obeng disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency in an interview, after touring some schools in the Municipality.

The schools included Fotobill M/A Basic, Akwane Dobro Presby Basic, Ahodjo Kettaheh Primary and JHS, St. Michael Anglican Basic, Djankrom, Nana Osae Djan Basic Djankrom and Nsawam Presby Basic.

The Municipal Education Director advised the teachers to be punctual and take their lessons seriously.

This, she said, would go a long was to shape the academic lives of the children in order for them to grow into responsible adults.


Source: GNA

Government to strengthen supervision in schools

Bimbilla, June 9, GNA - Alhaji Limuna Mohammed- Muniru, Northern Regional Minister, has said the government was working to strengthen supervision in public schools, to deal with teacher absenteeism and ensure quality education.

He said: “Our strongest desire is to strengthen supervision and deal with offending teachers so that they would find it equally important, like their colleagues in private schools, to do the work expected of them.”

Alhaji Mohammed-Muniru made these remarks in a speech read on his behalf at the second congregation of the Bimbilla Evangelical Presbyterian (E.P) College of Education at Bimbilla over the weekend.

A total of 566 students, comprising 427 regular and 139 sandwich students graduated with Diplomas in Basic Education.

Alhaji Mohammed-Muniru said teacher absenteeism and lack of supervision in public schools were concerns to government, since they affected quality education delivery, and urged the new teachers to be regular in school.

“Your commitment to serve should be the overriding factor in all that you do, it does not pay nor benefit you in anyway to be a truant teacher and only pretend to work when the supervisor is around.

You must cultivate the sense of inner feeling of satisfaction that you are serving your people and imparting knowledge,” he told the newly-trained teachers.

Touching on the withdrawal of teacher-trainees' allowance by the government, the Minister said it was not an act of wickedness, but one that would ensure a high intake at the Colleges of Education, and allow a lot more people to be trained as teachers.

He announced that a teacher trainees’ loan scheme had been introduced to replace the allowance, adding, government placed premium on teacher education and would not turn its back on teachers.

He touched on a number of infrastructural projects being undertaken in the Nanumba North District, besides the Eastern Corridor Road, and gave the assurance that government would continue to pursue policies and programmes that would make life better for the citizenry.

Mr Abdulai Abu-wemah, Principal of the Bimbilla E.P College of Education, said the College had developed a five-year strategic plan to further develop and entrench its enrollment system, by creating more programmes and expanding them by linkages with sister-institutions to allow trainees to get the best of knowledge.

He said the College was fast growing in student-population, and appealed to government to help address the serious infrastructural challenges, saying it could not admit more students due to inadequate lecture halls and dormitories.


Source: GNA

Teachers advised to use innovative means to teach

A psychologist, Dr Annie Gaisie has stressed the need for teachers to use innovative methods to understand the minds and attitudes of school pupils.

According to her, simple innovative methods like dance can help teachers to communicate with pupils and understand them better.

The psychologist said this at a Social Action Day program organized at Brainy Bairn School at West Legon in Accra.

Dance therapy is the psychotherapeutic use of movement and dance to support intellectual, emotional, and motor functions of the body.

Dr Gaisie who participated in the school’s Social Action Day program introduced the therapy to teachers and parents of the Brainy Bairn School.

She said when children listen to the lyrics of good music and dance, the brain releases “happy hormones” to every part of the body that help a child to communicate anger, stress, frustrations, abuse and more.

She added, “as they dance, they dance the stress and everything out. It is just like pushing out your anxiety and everything”.

Head teacher of Brainy Bairn, Akweley Odonkor said the school will adopt the method to help some of its pupils “who are not forthcoming when it comes to contributing in class”. 

She was optimistic both teachers and pupils will  benefit greatly from the therapy.

“We have many children struggling to settle down, attention seekers…teachers will be able to come up with five minutes dance moves that will cause children to reorient themselves and settle for the day”, she said.


By: Eugenia Tenkorang/citifmonline.com/Ghana

Managers of Education to sign performance contracts - Director-General of the Ghana Education Service

Managers of Education would soon sign performance contracts, the Director General of Education, Dr Jacob Korh has disclosed.

The Director General of Education, who made this disclosure during a working to the Upper East Region, expressed the hope that this would help arrest the fallen standards of education in the country.

He wondered why private schools, which have many untrained teachers are able to teach students to perform well than those in the government schools, who were well trained professional teachers, and attributed the trend to the lack of commitment, dedication and love for the teaching profession.

Dr Korh assigned the good performance of students in the private schools to the high level of supervision , which, he noted, culminates in increased time on task and the teachers high work output .
“Let me call on teachers to please lift up the banner of the profession. Your reward is here on earth and also in heaven, we shall not compromise on excellence”, the Director General cautioned.

He told the Managers of Education that, under the performance contract, all Regional and District Directors, Headmasters and Head teachers and teachers, including other categories of Staff, would be made to sign the performance contract.

He said the performance contract would be used as a yardstick to either promote or demote the Managers and mentioned among the criteria as good performance of students, high enrolment, lobbying on one’s own to bring development to a school, good discipline among students, punctual attendance to school and quality teaching.

The Director General, who admonished students to be law abiding, impressed upon them to take their studies seriously and eschew drug abuse, sexual promiscuity, pre-marital sex and examination malpractices.

Briefing the Director General about the educational challenges in the region, the Regional Director of Education, Mr Emmamuel Zumakpeh, mentioned the lack of office accommodation for District Directorates, Staff accommodation, Students dormitories and Classrooms.

He also mentioned the lack of means of transpiration, delay in the release of School Feeding Grants, lack of staff, lack of workshops and laboratories in some Senior High Schools, among others.

The Regional Director, who blamed the fallen standards of education partly to the above mentioned challenges, stated for instance that, the Talensi District Directorate of Education, which has been operating for a decade now had no office accommodation and said the three classroom block, which had been converted into an office accommodation is also housing the Director, accountant and other officers.

He said, apart from the four newly created Districts in the Region, which could boast of vehicles for Directors, the remaining nine District Directors had no vehicles, affecting monitoring and supervision as well as attending meetings in places like Kumasi and Accra.

“To compound the situation is the lack of school buses in the schools, which is also affecting academic and social activities. The School authorities are compelled to hire buses for the students any time they embark on educational trips or to participate in social activities elsewhere,” the Regional Director noted.

Mr Zumakpeh called on the Director General to assist in finding a lasting solution to the problems and arrest the fallen standards of education in the region.

The Director General gave the assurance that he would work to address some of their concerns within his powers and called on the Managers to furnish him with situational reports of the challenges.

Prior to the forum, the Regional Director led the Director General on field visits including to the Talensi Directorate of Education, Zorko Senior High school and Zamse Senior High Sec/Tech.


Source: Ghana News Agency

Effective Supervision Can Reduce Teacher Absenteeism - Deputy Minister of Education

Mr Alex Kyeremeh, a Deputy Minister of Education, said effective supervision by circuit supervisors could help reduce teacher absenteeism in the country.

He said a performance evaluation conducted by the Ministry showed that the average national teacher absenteeism significantly reduced from 19 per cent during the 2013/2014 academic year, to 14 per cent during the first term of the 2014/2015 academic year due to effective supervision.

The Minister said this in a speech read for him at a forum organised by the National Inspectorate Board for directors of education, and municipal and district chief executives at Tarkwa.

Mr Kyeremeh said the performance evaluation report was based on data collected during the flash inspections conducted by the board in 1,465 public basic schools, comprising 799 primary and 666 junior high schools sampled from 163 districts countrywide.

He said the schools were selected by Simple Random Sampling technique through the use of the Table of Random Numbers.

He said some of the specific indicators used in the performance evaluation included teacher absenteeism, teacher preparedness, availability and use of core textbooks, effectiveness of Ghana Education Service circuit supervisors, and community participation in the schools.

On teacher preparedness, Mr Kyeremeh said for the purpose of the report, it was measured by whether or not the teachers prepared a scheme of work and lesson notes, under the supervision of head teachers.

He said during the 2013/2014 academic year, it was observed that 69 per cent of teachers in the Ashanti Region prepared their lesson notes while only 42 per cent of teachers in the Northern Region did so.

He said the huge percentage of teachers who did not prepare lesson notes in the Upper East, Upper West and Northern regions was due to the large number of “volunteer” and or untrained teachers in those regions.

Mr Kyeremeh said nationwide, only 55.7 per cent of the teachers in the selected schools prepared expanded scheme of lesson notes on the day the panel visited during the 2013/2014 as against 55.8 per cent for 2014/2015.

On the availability and use of textbooks in the core subjects of English Language, Mathematics and Science, calculated pupil-textbook ratio stood at five pupils per four textbooks, with the optimal ratio of one textbook is to one pupil yet to be achieved.

He said the major conclusion that could be drawn from the performance evaluation exercise was that the systems and procedures for quality learning had been well articulated.

Mr Kyeremeh said: "What appears to be missing is an adequate number of trained, competent and motivated system drivers and managers which include teachers, school heads, circuit supervisors, district directors of education and adequate resources".

The Acting Chief Inspector of Schools, Dr Augustine Twaiah, said children must have access to education and should not walk for three kilometres to attend school.

He called for closer working relationship between regional, municipal, and district education directors to enable the country to achieve its education targets.

Mrs Veronica Ama Jackson, the Tarkwa Nsueam Municipal Education Director, commended the Board for working hard to improve the standard of education in Ghana.

The National Inspectorate Board is an agency of the Ministry of Education, established under the 2008 Education Act (Act 778).

It is mandated to provide on periodic basis, an external evaluation of the performance of basic and second-cycle institutions in the country.


Source: Ghana News Agency

Education Minister expresses concern about extra classes

Accra, May 11, GNA - The Minister of Education, Professor Naana Jane Opoku Agyeman, has expressed concern about rampant extra classes for pupils by teachers and head teachers in the country, saying the pupils did not need those classes.

She noted the time table for every term was structured to fit or cover the academic calendar, and as such the pupils did not need extra classes.

Speaking at the presentation of 14 buses to selected schools across the country on Monday, she urged teachers not to put pressure on the brains of their pupils, in the name of organizing extra classes, as the pupils as well as their brains had a limit as to what they could absorb.

She also appealed to teachers not to keep textbooks given to their schools from the pupils as it did not augur well for their academic development.

She wondered why some teachers would choose to keep books which had been handed over to their schools in their cupboards, instead of making them available to the pupils to enhance academic work.

She expressed her appreciation to the Chinese Government for the presentation of the 32 seater Zhongtong buses, and lauded it for its assistance to the IT Centre at the University of Ghana, and the continuous development of the University of Allied Sciences at Ho.

The beneficiary schools included Savelugu School for the Deaf, Kibi School for the Deaf, Sekondi School for the Deaf, Gbi Kledjo Special School at Ho and Navrongo Special School.

The rest were Mowere Secondary Technical in the Central Region, Salaga SHS, Toubodum SHS, Nyarkrom SHS, Aveyime Bator SHS, Yilo Krobo SHS, Garden City Special School, Tumu SHS and FIC St. Loius Educational Complex in Kumasi.

She pledged the readiness of government to continue with its good works at Teacher Training Colleges across the country to ensure quality education at the basic level.

She said the buses would enhance the movement of the students to field trips, excursions, social gatherings as well as boost the pride in their schools as the names of their schools would be boldly embossed on the buses.

Mr Lee Jian, Economic and Commercial Chancellor at the Chinese Embassy in Ghana, said China had continuously assisted Ghana since they entered into diplomatic relations 50 years ago.

He cited the giving of Chinese concessional loans, furniture to schools in the country, financial support against the fight against malaria, as some of the latest Chinese assistance to Ghana.

Mr Justice Kojo Frimpong, Headteacher of Mowere Secondary Technical School, on behalf of the beneficiary schools, expressed appreciation to the Ministry of Education and the Chinese Government for the buses.

He called for more assistance to the various departments of the schools, by equipping them with the needed facilities.

“We will be more grateful if more assistance would be channeled to the various practical departments of our schools, such as the vocational, the technical and our science departments,” he said.


Source: Ghana News Agency

Some basic school teachers do not prepare lesson notes — Report

A performance evaluation report done by the National Inspectorate Board (NIB) of the Ministry of Education has indicated that about 45 per cent of teachers in basic schools teach without lesson notes.

The report was based on data collected during flash inspections in 1,465 schools in 163 districts of the 10 regions of Ghana during the 2013/2014 academic year, and the first term of the 2014/2015 academic year.

Presenting the report at a forum of district directors of education and metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives in the Central Region last Wednesday, the Deputy Minister in charge of Pre-tertiary Education, Mr Alex Kyeremeh, said the situation was worse in the three regions in the north.

The study looked at teacher absenteeism, teacher preparedness, availability and use of core textbooks, effectiveness of circuit supervisors and community participation in schools.

Worse situations

Mr Kyeremeh noted that the situation in those regions was worsened by the huge numbers of “volunteer” and untrained teachers in the area.

“In some cases we found JHS graduates teaching in these schools and it is obvious some of them did not know how to prepare these lesson notes,” he said.

The report showed that 58 per cent of teachers in the Northern Region had no prepared work scheme, while 57 per cent of teachers in the Upper East and Upper West regions had the same problem.

On supervision

On supervision, Mr Kyeremeh said the report indicated that many schools were not visited over one academic year.

He noted that for instance, 158 schools visited as part of the evaluation were not inspected by any circuit supervisor in a term.

Nationwide, he said, 16 per cent of basic schools were not visited by any circuit supervisor during the third term of 2013/2014 academic year.

He said there was the need for the Ghana Education Service (GES) to improve supervision to ensure that the teachers did the right thing.

Textbooks

Mr Kyeremeh also expressed worry that some headteachers were not making textbooks available to the pupils for fear of being reprimanded or sanctioned by auditors for loss of or damage to the textbooks.

He said the government had spent over GH¢12 million in recent times to purchase textbooks for the pupils, adding that it was unfortunate that in some cases the books never got to the pupils.

Teacher absenteeism

Though the report indicated that teacher absenteeism had reduced from 19 per cent to 14 per cent between the 2013/2014 academic year and the first term of the 2014/2015 academic year, Mr Kyeremeh said the GES must ensure effective supervision to ensure that the figure was further reduced to a single digit.

The acting Chief Inspector of Schools with the NIB, Dr Augustine Tawiah, noted that there was the need to continue to organise refresher courses for headteachers to ensure effective management and supervision at the basic level.

The Central Regional Minister, Mr Aquinas Tawiah Quansah, urged the directors and chief executives to be proactive and innovative to achieve quality basic education in the region.


- Written by Shirley Asiedu-Addo, Graphic.com.gh

Date for basic schools reopening remains unchanged - GES

Accra, May 9, GNA – The Ghana Education Service (GES), has reminded heads of basic schools, parents, guardians and the public that the reopening date for all public basic schools remained Tuesday, May 12.

A press release signed by Mr Charles Parker-Allotey, the Director of Public Relations of the GES, has therefore requested the public to disregard rumours that the reopening date has been postponed.

The heads and teachers are especially entreated to take note and put in the necessary preparations for the reopening of schools, the release said.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mamehyeso Basic School faces imminent closure

Mamehyeso (E/R), April 28, GNA - The Mamehyeso Primary School in the Suhum Municipality will soon be close down if parents continue to withdraw their children from the school.

So far, five of the six teachers in the school have been withdrawn by the Ghana Education Service (GES) as a result of low student population.

A GES official who spoke to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on condition of anonymity said, currently only 15 out of 210 pupils are attending the school.

Parents in the village have withdrawn their children to nearby schools in Tetteh Nkwanta, Adarkwah, Kofiga, Suhum Gariba Zongo Islamic Primary School and Suhum Roman Catholic Primary School.

Some of the children who were withdrawn from the school have dropped out of school and are now truck pushers, coconut sellers, basket weavers, ‘akpeteshie’ distillers, rat and grasscutter hunters, while some of the girls have become pregnant.

The official said the school was established 50 years ago by the Ministry of Education at the request of the community, and so the GES did not understand why the community had decided to neglect the school.

When the Odikro of the village, Nene Amuyaw Ashate was contacted, he confirmed the story and said several warnings by the traditional authorities and elders of the village to parents to stop withdrawing their children from the school had not achieved the desired result.

He said currently, some of the children had to walk for a distance of six kilometers to attend school outside the community.

The Odikro said there were plans for the elders of the town to meet with parents to discuss the issue and find a solution to the challenges facing the school.


Source: Ghana News Agency

NGO organizes quiz for Gomoa East District Schools

Gomoa Ekroful, (C/R), April 22, GNA - A United States-based Non- Government Organization (NGO) “NGOLI,” has organized a Mathematics and Science (M&S) Quiz Competition for seven basic schools in the Gomoa East district of the Central Region.

The programme was sponsored by Gentleman Radio.com from the US.

Gomoa Benso Junior High Schools (B), Benso(C), Gomoa  Aboso (A) JHS, Akropong  (SDA) (JHS), Aboso Zion (JHS), Otapirow (D/A) and Gomoa Akropong  Blessed Academy Preparatory JHS participated.

Speaking to the Press, Mr Raymond Amezado, President of the NGO said the competition was to improve the performance of basic school students in the district.

Benso (C) JHS emerged the overall winner.

Mr Amezado who was accompanied by two board members of NGOLI, Ms Tara Jackson and Ms Liza Kotou, said the three contestants of the winning school would be given full scholarships by the NGO to complete Senior High Schools of their choices

According to the President, the NGO came to Gomoa East District through the instrumentality of Mr Ernest Quarm, Assemblyman for Ekroful /Akropong Electoral Area.

He said the second objective was to help eliminate fear and panic among students in solving Mathematics and Science questions in final examinations.

Mr Amezado who is also a Staff Sergeant in the US Army, said plans were far advanced to stock the computer laboratory at Aboso-Benso JHS to improve Information Communication Technology (ICT) studies.

He urged the Gomoa East District Assembly to furnish the NGO with challenges in education for assistance.

The President asked parents in the Gomoa East District and others in the Central Region to provide basic needs for their children to promote teaching and learning.

Mr Quarm said the Assembly had empowered the Gomoa Akyempim and Ajumako Traditional Areas to instituted bye-laws to check parents who refused to send their children to school.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Saint Michael Roman Catholic Primary School Wins Nestle Healthy Kids Inter-Schools’ Quiz Contest for Eastern Region

Donkorkrom, April   20, GNA - Saint Michael Roman Catholic Primary School at Donkorkrom in the Eastern Region has won the Nestle Healthy Kids Inter-Schools’ Quiz Contest for the region.

The school, represented by Master James Atikpo and Ms Patience Frimpomaa, took away a cheque for GH¢1000.00 each to supplement their educational expenses at the Senior High School level.

The winning school took way a trophy and exercise books, whilst each of the representatives of the other four competing schools; Bruben D/A Primary, Ntonaboma R/C Primary, Ekye Anglican Primary and Sememhyia Presby Primary had GHC100.00 cash prize and exercise books.

The competition was organised by Nestlé Ghana in conjunction with the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Nutrition and Food Science Department of the University of Ghana, Legon.

It was aimed at assessing the nutrition knowledge and behaviour of the pupils after the introduction of the Nestlé Healthy Kids’ Global programme in five schools each in the two districts.

The quiz was based on nutrition, health and wellness, and according to the Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Manager of Nestle-Ghana, Mr Aaron Fenu, the Nestle Healthy Kids’ was a global programme being implemented in 73 countries.

He recounted that the programme was instituted in Ghana in 2011, and had since benefited over 10,000 pupils in five selected regions-Ashanti, Western, Central, Eastern and the Northern.

“We have also trained 360 teachers and district officials of the Ghana Education Service in the five regions and we are aiming at getting the parents and the communities involved”, he added.

Mr Fenu said the quiz had been held in all the selected regions, and that the national competition would be held by the end of the year, with the winner representing the country in an international competition.     

Mr Gabriel Adu, District Director of Education for the Kwahu Afram Plains North, commended the teachers for the commitment exhibited adding that there was the need for the programme to be sustained.

Mrs Helena Mends-Kito of the GES on behalf of the Director-General of GES, commended the participating schools and urged the pupils to learn hard and desist from negative social activities.

“A sound mind rests in a sound body so continue eating right and exercise to stay healthy always”, she said.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Use pulpit to help youth dress decently – Nkoranza Municipal Director of Education

Nkoranza (B/A), April 21, GNA – Mr Godfred Axolu, the Nkoranza Municipal Director of Education has urged the clergy to encourage the youth to dress decently.

Mr Axolu also stressed the need for Churches to promote the education of Girls through the pulpit to encourage parents to support their Girl-child’s education so that they could contribute to the socio-economic development of the country.

He made the call when he paid a courtesy call on the Queenmother of Nkoranza, Nana Adutwumwaa Dudai Kani, to formally introduce himself to her as the new Director for the Municipality.

Mr Axolu expressed concern about the increasing number of teenage pregnancies in the municipality and called on stakeholders in the area to help control the problem before “it gets out of hand.”

He also urged parents to monitor their children, particularly the Girl child against early sexual activities and other social vices.

The Municipal Director of GES called on parents to join hands with teachers towards the promotion of effective discipline in schools and in the communities, and urged Assembly members and Unit Committees to help address moral issues.

The queen-mother thanked Mr. Axolu for the visit and assured that the Queen-mothers’ Association of Nkoranza was addressing the issue of child delinquency and had recently launched an educational campaign against teenage pregnancies.

She said under the campaign, the executive members of the Association would be visiting the communities to educate girls to desist from early sex.

Nana Kani said the Association had reintroduced puberty rites in the communities to help the girls to develop to adulthood before engaging in sexual activities.

The Queen-mother called on parents not to give out their girls for early marriages because such practices affect their education.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Volta River Authority (VRA) donates books to Sogakope School

Sogakope (V/R), April 19, GNA - The Volta River Authority (VRA), has donated 15,000 exercise books and more than 300 textbooks to Sogakope Primary C Basic School in the South Tongu District of the Volta Region.

The learning materials along with packs of an educational HIV and AIDS board game, were presented at the weekend to the enthusiastic pupils and their Headmistress, Ms Grace Togbedza by Mrs Rhoda Arthur and Mr Samuel DeGraft-Johnson, information officers of VRA’s Corporate Communications Department.

The donation was part of VRA’s support to communities affected by its operations.

South Tongu District Chief Executive (DCE) Mr Mawuko Awuyi expressed gratitude to VRA for the regular donations and scholarships.

He said the donation would go a long way to help teaching and learning in the school because not every child’s parents could afford books.

He said he is “very grateful” for the gesture but suggested that the VRA should give a little more attention to the provision of books and learning materials than scholarships, so as to build the intelligence and capacity of pupils to qualify for the scholarships.

At the District Assembly, the VRA instructed the DCE, the immediate past district assembly members, traditional leaders and opinion leaders, on its Emergency Preparedness Plan (EPP); how to interpret the information in the plan and what to do in the event of a dam break or spillover.

As part of safety measures, the VRA has provided districts likely to be affected by dam accidents with its EPP.

The plan includes information and directives for emergency situations, procedures, contacts, notification and communication procedures as well as areas that would be affected by flooding and their attendant safe havens and routes, depending on the severity of the spill.

Mr Kwame Osei Mensah Darkwah, a System Planning Engineer who is the EPP Coordinator of VRA, encouraged the district leaders to keep places that had been identified as safe havens during disaster, in good condition and devoid of any development that could render them unable to provide temporary shelter and relief during emergencies.

Sopurce: Ghana News Agency

Peak Milk donates to Ashanti School for the Deaf

FrieslandCampina West Africa Limited, owners of the Peak Milk brand in Ghana, in collaboration with SOKPO, a Dutch educational non­governmental organization, has donated 180 cartons (25,200 servings) of Peak Instant Full Cream Milk Powder to the Ashanti School for the Deaf at Jamasi, in the Ashanti Region.

The gesture which formed part of the company's Corporate Social Responsibility was also in line with the company's commitment towards encouraging people to drink Peak milk every day; essential in building stronger bodies and sharper minds.

Ms. Anneke Schnieders, Secretary of SOKPO, who presented the items on behalf of FrieslandCampina, noted that their organization believe very strongly in good nutrition and good education for young people, and especially equal opportunity for people with hearing impairment.

Ms. Schnieders commended the company for their kind support and indicated that the nutritional and health benefits of the Peak milk will go a long way to energize the students both physically and intellectually.

''We trust that the Peak products we present today from FrieslandCampina, will not only relieve the school of the financial cost in providing them but will also go a long way to energize our students'', she said.

She equally lauded the staff of the school for their commitment and dedication to duty in spite of the many logistical challenges they are faced with.

Mr. Marc Desenfans, Business Development Director of FrieslandCampina West Africa Ltd. added that Peak is a household brand committed to providing shared value to its stakeholders; Peak Milk will continue to support and empower the underprivileged in society.

Receiving the items, the Headmaster of the school, Mr. Emmanuel Boachie, revealed that the institution is a special boarding school with a current student population of 600 between the ages of 6 and 20 years, annually prepares pupils to write the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).

Concerned about the lack of logistics in the discharge of their duties, he expressed profound gratitude to FrieslandCampina and SOKPO for the kind gesture, noting in particular, Mr. Ron van Burgsteden, one of the company's suppliers in Holland, through whose intervention the donation came to fruition starting last year and repeated this year.

He remarked that the presence of Peak Milk in the diet of the school children will obviously improve their nutritional status.

Mr. Boachie therefore welcomed such support in aid of the school to promote effective teaching and learning.

Source: Ghana | Myjoyonline.com

Chief wants headmaster jailed

The Chief of Klikor –Glitame, Torgbui AtsiwotoII is calling for the immediate arrest of the headmaster of the Glitame basic school.

According to him, the headmaster who also doubles as the Assembleman for the area, Simon Gbedevi has allegedly defiled majority of the female pupils in the school.

Torgbui Atsiwoto II claim the headmaster has over the years been sleeping with pupils aged 14 and 17 respectively and in the classrooms and warned them not report the issue to anyone or face his wrath.

He indicated that the attitude of the Headmaster has contributed to the poor performance of the pupils in the school.

“It is a taboo to sleep with a woman on the bare floor in Anlo land and that was what Mr. Gbedevia did. He must be arrested and transfer immediately to avoid other girls being raped he stressed.

He recalled who the headmaster pounced on a 17-year-old in a bush but was caught by a group of motorists in the area.

Torgbui Atsiwoto II said the Mr. Gbedevia quickly bribed the motorists with GHȼ50 to shut them up.

He fears the other girls in the school are at risk if he is allowed to stay in the school. The victims, the Chief said have been sent to the hospital for medical checkup.

A visit to the school to the school by JoyNews revealed that one of the girls in question is not in good condition.

A victim who spoke to JoyNews on conditions of anonymity said the head teacher has been forcing her and the friend for sex but threatened to deal with them if they exposed him.

The Chief and people are calling on the Ghana Education Service to transfer the head teacher to bring respite to the pupils in the school.

Source: Ghana/JoyNews/Ivy Setordzie