By Emmanuel Nyatsikor
Adaklu Amuzudeve (V/R), Dec. 16. GNA – Pencils of Promise (PoP), an educational Non-Governmental Organisation and partners have commissioned a new three-unit classroom Kindergarten block for Adaklu Amuzudeve at a short ceremony on Thursday.
The facility with sanitary facilities, including a six-seater KVIP, a changing room and urinals
replaced an old dilapidated one and funded by Sunda Construction Incorporated of Japan.
They also donated desks to the Primary school, tables and chairs to the kindergarten and teachers.
Mr Kwame Agbodza, Member of Parliament for Adaklu, who supported the project with some quantity of sand and stone chippings from his share of the MP Common Fund to make up for the 20 percent of the total cost of the project otherwise to be borne by the community.
The cost of the project was, however, not disclosed but the community also provided labour.
Mr Freeman Gobah, Country Director of Pop speaking at the ceremony said PoP was currently working in three regions of the country including Volta, Oti, and the Eastern regions.
He said PoP, which started operating in the country 10 years ago had put up 196 classroom blocks across the three regions.
The Country Director said PoP was also running courses for teachers of the beneficiary schools to improve their teaching capacities.
He disclosed that the National Teaching Council had given accreditation to PoP and appealed to teachers to take the courses they were running for them seriously as certificates awarded them were recognised by the Council.
He urged the community and teachers to develop the maintenance culture to prolong the lifespan of the facility.
Mr Agbodza noted that from 2012 to date the district had seen a tremendous transformation, especially in the fields of education and health.
He disclosed that 30 classroom blocks were put up since 2012 with PoP providing 19.
He said the youth could only be empowered through quality education, adding “the only non-perishable asset we can bequeath our children is quality education.”
The MP noted that the government was spending a greater chunk of the National cake on education but was quick to add that the output was not matching the expenditure.
He said this was partly due to the wholesale promotion of students to Senior High Schools, adding, “there is no competition in the classrooms which is not helping both teachers and pupils.”
Mr Agbodza therefore urged the government to reconsider the wholesale promotion of students to bring competition back into the education system.
He expressed his gratitude to PoP for helping in eliminating schools under trees in the district and urged beneficiary communities to take good care of the classroom blocks.
Mr Eli Tsikata, Adaklu District Coordinating Director who represented the DCE said that government had established and was working on four key areas including education, health, security and social services like roads and water to improve the lives of the people.
Madam Rose Appoh Biney, Adaklu District Director of Education said educating children was a shared responsibility and urged parents to invest their resources into educating them and urged teachers to also play their teaching roles effectively and efficiently.
Mr Bright Kwame Dunyo, Headmaster of the school said the Junior High School was currently having classes in a dilapidated classroom block and appealed to the Assembly and Philanthropists to come to their aid.
GNA