By Iddi Yire
Accra, June 02, GNA – The Government Assurance Committee of Parliament on Thursday embarked on a two-day fact-finding visit to some selected public basic schools in the Central Region.
The Delegation, which is being led by Madam Patricia Appiagyei, the Chairperson of the Committee and Mr John Kwabena Bless Oti, the Ranking Member, is in the Region to find out whether the Ministry of Education has delivered on its promises of supplying textbooks to schools.
The schools the Committee visited on day one of the two-day tour of the Central Region include the Islamic Research Basic School in Kasoa in the Awutu Senya East Municipality and the Osubonpanyin Ateitu MA Basic School in Winneba in the Efutu Municipality.
The rest are Pomadze-Asebu DA “B” Model Basic at Gomoa Central District and the Swedru Salvation Army School for the Deaf in the Agona West Municipal District.
Madam Appiagyei in her interactions with the various headteachers and District Education Directors explained to them that the Committee on Government Assurance pursues all assurances, promises and undertakings given by Ministers at Plenary from time to time.
Adding that, the Committee reports to the House on how much such assurances have been done.
The Chairperson said the Minister of Education had informed the House in 2022 that the Ministry would be supplying textbooks to schools, hence the Committee was embarking on the tour to ascertain whether the assurance had been fulfilled or not.
Mr Oti urged the various headteachers and District Education Directors to give the Committee information on the ground; stating that no one would be victimized by anyone.
He stated their mission was to find from the schools whether they had received the textbooks as promised by the education minister.
He also sought to know from the teachers if the textbooks they received were enough for their pupils.
Madam Rahinatu Iddrisu, Headteacher, Islamic Research Basic School informed the Committee that the school had received some of the textbooks but because the quantity was not enough, the students had to pair in using them.
She said that because of the inadequate number of textbooks, teachers could not allow the pupils to take them home for their assignments.
She said the textbooks that had been supplied to the school based on the Standard Base Curriculum include English Language – class four to six, Science – class one to six, Creative Art – class one to three and Mathematics – class one to five.
She said the first consignment of textbooks was delivered to the school on 28th September 2022, while the second consignment came in on 16th January 2023 and the recent one came in on 13th April 2023.
Madam Faustina Alimatu Braimah, Awutu Senya East Municipal Education Director told the Committee that her outfit goes for the books from Cape Coast, the Regional Capital as and when they were available for distribution to the schools.
She noted that the main challenge facing them was the cost of transporting the books from Cape Coast to Kasoa for distribution to the schools.
Mrs Catherine Bentum, Headteacher, Osubonpanyin Ateitu MA Basic School, Winneba in the Efutu Municipality, told the Committee that her school had received the textbooks, which were enough for the pupils.
The Delegation later called on Mrs Mabel Judith Micah, Efutu Municipal Education Director at her office on Winneba, where she said they had challenges in conveying the books from Cape Coast to Winneba for distribution to the schools as and when they were available.
Alhaji Zubairu Kassim, Efutu Municipal Chief Executive, said the Municipal Assembly Municipal does assist the Education Directorate in transporting the books when the need arises.
Mr Alfred Nii Okoe Vanderpuije, a Member of the Committee, urged the Efutu Municipal Assembly to collaborate with the Ghana Education Service and the Ministry of Education to establish a central Depot in Winneba to help speed-up the distribution of textbooks to schools.
Madam Rose Quansah, Headteacher, Pomadze-Asebu DA B Model Basic, said the school had received textbooks for the primary section and that however, the Junior High School (JHS) was yet to receive textbooks.
Mr Emmanuel Yao Nutakpor, Headteacher, Swedru Salvation Army School for the Deaf, said the textbooks were yet to be delivered to the school; adding that the school was facing other numerous challenges.
Mr Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah, a Member of the Committee and MP for Ho West, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, urged the Ministry of Education to ensure that the textbooks were transported from the Regional Depots to the schools where the end users were.
GNA