By Albert Futukpor
Wulensi (N/R), March 24, GNA – The Nanumba South District and the Nanumba North Municipal Directorates of Education have taken delivery of 200 tables, 1,200 chairs, and 967 dual desks to help improve the furniture situation in schools within their jurisdictions.
Out of the figure, 86 tables and 516 chairs, 310 dual desks, and 92 dual desks went to kindergartens, primary schools, and junior high schools in that order in the Nanumba South District whilst 114 tables and 684 chairs, 460 dual desks, and 105 dual desks went to kindergartens, primary schools, and junior high schools in that order in the Nanumba North Municipality.
ActionAid Ghana, an international NGO, procured and distributed the furniture to the schools within the two Assemblies through their Education Directorates as part of efforts to improve teaching and learning for children in the area.
Madam Esther Boateng, Northern Regional Programme Manager of ActionAid Ghana, who handed over the furniture to authorities of Education at the two Assemblies at Wulensi and Bimbilla on Thursday, said the gesture followed a needs assessment, which revealed that the furniture situation at the schools was not good.
Madam Boateng said the needs assessment showed that in the Nanumba South District, the schools had less than 40 per cent of their furniture requirement whilst the schools in the Nanumba North Municipality had less than 50% of their furniture requirement, a situation, which forced many of the pupils and students to lie and or sit on the bare floor for classes.
She appealed to the two Assemblies to launch a campaign for each resident within their jurisdictions to support schools in the area with at least a dual desk to help ensure adequate furniture for the schools in the area to help improve teaching and learning for improved outcome.
She announced that ActionAid Ghana was also constructing some classroom blocks in the region to address “schools under trees” phenomenon.
Mr Zakaria Issifu, Nanumba South District Chief Executive said the Assembly was not oblivious of the furniture situation at schools in the area but was challenged with resources to adequately address the situation.
He assured that the Assembly would continue to do its best to address the situation expressing gratitude to ActionAid Ghana for the gesture urging other development partners to emulate the gesture.
Alhaji Abdulai Yaquob, Nanumba North Municipal Chief Executive said there was 16,000 furniture deficits in the municipality adding the Assembly was making efforts to procure more furniture for the schools.
He thanked ActionAid Ghana for the support urging others to emulate the gesture to come to the aid of schools in the area.
GNA