By Albert Futukpor, GNA
Walewale (NE/R), Sept 17, GNA – Two boreholes have been constructed for pupils of Zaratinga Primary and Walewale Primary ‘B’ Schools in the North East Region to help ensure their access to potable water for their various needs during school hours.
Prior to the construction of the boreholes, the over 684 (341 males, 343 females) pupils of the two schools always missed contact hours because they had to go home to drink water whenever they were thirsty with many of the kindergarten pupils not returning to class after such expeditions.
This was disrupting school activities and raising safety and security issues once the pupils were outside the confines of the school.
The two boreholes were constructed by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) in partnership with ChildFund Korea (CFK), and with the support of Children Believe (CB), and AG CARE Ghana.
It was in line with the Quality and Inclusive Early Childhood Education Services for All Children (QAIECE) project being implemented by KOICA and its partners to strengthen Early Childhood Education in the East and West Mamprusi Municipalities of the North East Region.
The QAIECE, a three-year project funded by KOICA, which commenced in 2022, covers 30 communities in both the West and East Mamprusi Municipalities.
It aims to improve quality Early Childhood Education opportunities for four to five year-old children in the area by improving the quality of education in kindergartens, increasing the involvement of parents and communities in kindergarten education, and strengthening the government’s accountability in kindergarten education.
KOICA and its partners fully support Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 4), which aims to ensure that “All girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care, and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education, and SDGs 6, which seeks to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all by 2030.
Apart from the two boreholes, which were handed over to authorities of the two schools, the QAIECE project is also constructing another five Early Childhood Education Centers at Nameaboku, Jawani, Wungu, Wulugu and Kurugu communities, which will be completed and handed over to the beneficiary communities before the end of this year.
This will bring the total beneficiaries to over 1,017 (517 boys & 498 girls) kindergarten children.
Other key deliverables under the QAIECE project include to provide in-service training for 37 teachers in the new curriculum and the Learning Through Play (LTP) methodology, provide training support for 26 School Improvement Support Officers, provision of indoor and outdoor play facilities for five kindergarten facilities, provision of teaching and learning resources for 1,200 pupils and 37 teachers, sensitisation and education of over 3,000 parents and caregivers on the LTP, and monthly radio (sensitisation) programme on the importance of early childhood education.
GNA