NEW CLASSROOM BLOCK FOR BREKUMANSO ISLAMIC SCHOOL (PAGE 40, APRIL 24)

Story: A. Kofoya-Tetteh, Koforidua

A SOD-CUTTING ceremony for the construction of a $250,000 school building complex for the Islamic Primary School at Brekumanso in the West Akyem Municipality took place at the weekend.
The project, the first of its kind in the district, which is being funded by the United States Embassy in Ghana, consists of a six-unit classroom block, an administrative block, a library, a dining hall with kitchen, a 12-unit place of convenience and urinal facilities.
The Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Kwabena Sintim-Aboagye, together with Major Tom Wang, a representative of the US Embassy in Ghana and Nana Kwaku Anyae III, the Chief of Brekumanso, planted a tree to signify the commencement of the project.
They expressed the hope that the facility would improve teaching and learning in the town.
Mr Sintim-Aboagye said the government would continue to offer the necessary assistance in the educational sector for the benefit of schoolchildren in the municipality.
In line with that, he said, 16,000 pieces of furniture had already been distributed to all basic schools in the area, while the staff strength had also been boosted with 133 young teachers engaged under the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP).
“These measures, together with the Capitation Grant and the School Feeding Programme, would make a significant impact on education in the area,“ the MCE stressed.
Mr Sintim-Aboagye, however, expressed concern about the falling standard of education in the area, which he attributed to poor performance of teachers and lack of parental control over schoolchildren, some of whom attended video shows, funerals and other social gatherings meant for adults at the expense of their studies.
To address the situation, the MCE said, the Assembly, together with the Municipal Directorate of Education, had decided to take a number of measures such as the transfer of non-performing headteachers to be replaced with hard-working and dedicated ones.
He thanked the US Embassy for its assistance in putting up the facility.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Mr James Appietu-Ankrah, appealed to Muslim parents to enrol their children in the school, while Major Wang expressed the hope that the facility would improve education for the benefit of the pupils.