By Samuel Akumatey
Avee (V/R), Oct. 04, GNA- Development Association of the Avee community and the Ho Municipal Assembly have led an initiative to provide furniture for the Avee local Basic School.
The basic school had a huge furniture deficit, which stakeholders identified to be the cause of its poor academic outcomes and moved to fix it.
Togbe Dogbeza, Chairman of the Avee Development Association in Accra and Tema, said at a ceremony to hand over 80 mono and dual desks, which contributed to the withdrawal of children from the school, and its ranking among the least performing in the country, caused the community’s leadership to spring to action.
He said a speed assessment found that both JHS and the primary schools lacked teachers for especially core subjects, and the School Management Committee was engaged to help address the situation.
A delegation led by the Chief of the community visited the education directorate to lobby for teachers, while all in the diaspora were asked to contribute to the effort of reviving the school.
Community members provided wood and volunteered to shape them into 60 desks and produced six sets of furniture for use by teachers.
The Ho Municipal Assembly is also supported with 20 desks.
The Chairman commended all for the effort and urged the formation of development associations among members of the community in other parts of the country to support its advancement.
Ernest Narh, Head of the School, said classroom comfort remained key to educational success, and that the furniture would be appreciated and there remained the need for an ICT laboratory, and other resources including books, and prayed stakeholders including the education directorate.
The basic school has 169 pupils, and the JHS has 70.
Mr Divine Bosson, Ho Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) said schools in the area could become competitive with the needed interventions and charged all to commit to the betterment of education outcomes in that area and promised the unwavering support of the Municipal Assembly.
The MCE said Government’s efforts to provide equity in education should be supported and called to appreciate and endear to benefit from the Free SHS program.
Benjamin Kpodo, Member of Parliament (MP) for the Ho Central Constituency, said teachers should assume more responsibility for ensuring the school and its facilities were sustained.
He said they should enforce the needed disciplinary measures in making sure pupils used their school periods responsibly, and conversely advised the children to make the most of the enhanced learning environment.
The MP supported the school with an amount of GHC 2,000.
Togbe, Korlikpo Tameklo, Paramount Chief of Avee, who chaired the event, appealed for roads in the area to be constructed to help elevate the farming community, situated on the border with Togo.
He also appealed for the community to be considered for social interventions from the State, including water and poverty alleviation.
The MP and the MCE collaborated to support the community with some streetlights and promised to lobby for potable water and road networks.
GNA