Katariga (N/R), Feb 19, GNA – An Early Childhood Development (ECD) centre with ancillary facilities has been constructed for the Katariga Primary and Kindergarten in the Sagnarigu Municipality of the Northern Region to improve teaching and learning.
The multi-purpose facility has two classrooms, an office, a dining room, a sleeping room and playground, and a four-seater KVIP with two urinals.
It is to help the children start right in life by positively imparting their learning outcomes.
The new facility has replaced an old structure of the school that used to accommodate the children.
It was constructed by Markaz Al Bishara Child Development Programme (MABCDP), a non-governmental organisation (NGO), with funding support from Children Believe, a child-centred international NGO, as part of its commitment to improve early childhood development in the country.
Mrs Esenam Kavi De Souza, the Country Manager of Children Believe, at the handing over ceremony, expressed the commitment of her organisation to continue to work to break barriers preventing access to inclusive and quality education for all, especially girls and the socially-excluded.
“The project we are commissioning today is one of six school infrastructure projects in the Northern and Upper East regions that Children Believe is funding within our current fiscal year,” she said.
Mrs De Souza spoke about the importance of early learning and called on stakeholders to lay the best foundation possible for the future human capital by investing in ECD.
She called on the Sagnarigu Municipal Assembly and the Ghana Education Service to refocus on ECD education, which would help to make learning at the primary and JHS levels easier.
Mr Alhassan Ziblim, the Sagnarigu Municipal Coordinating Director, expressed gratitude to MABCDP and Children Believe for complementing the efforts of government to ensure effective teaching and learning.
Mr Alhaasan Alidu Jnr, the Sagnarigu Municipal Director of Education, whose speech was read on his behalf, said the provision of the facility was in line with the country’s educational policy, which required children aged zero to eight years to have at least two years of ECD education before entering class one.
He entreated parents and other stakeholders in the community to make facility their own to protect and maintain it to serve them for a long time.
Madam Zalihatu Badun, the Headmistress of Katariga Primary and Kindergarten, said the new facility would help reduce congestion in the classrooms and ensure conducive environment for children as they went about their learning activities.
She appealed for more support in infrastructure, furniture and ICT to ensure that upon their graduation from the ECD, the children would still have a conductive learning environment at the primary and JHS levels.
GNA