By Kekeli K. Blamey
Mepe (V/R), Oct. 24, GNA – Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, Minister of Education, has toured flooded communities and sympathised with victims of the Akosombo Dam spillage.
The visit aimed at assessing the extent of damage, and plan on addressing the educational implications of the spillage as well as support that would be provided to the affected schools and communities.
The spillage has also resulted in the closure of 47 schools and affected 14,000 students and pupils in the area.
Dr Adutwum, speaking to the media at Mepe in the North Tongu District, noted that the visit was to see how normalcy could be brought to education in the affected areas.
“I have taken note of the effect that the spillage has had on education in the district. And I know the same is happening in other affected Districts,” the Minister said.
He also engaged with school administrators, teachers and union heads and affected students to better understand their immediate needs and concerns.
Dr Adutwum commended the initiative of bringing education to the affected school children through mix-shift classes.
He said he would ensure that measures were put in place urgently to avert the situation.
He said: “I was told most teachers have left the town because of the situation but I shall work to bring them back to their posts soon.”
Dr Adutwum donated 420 bags of rice, over 2,000 exercise books and pens as well as 200 mattresses to the teachers and students, adding that other items would be brought in a few days.
Dr Archibald Yao Letsa, Volta Regional Minister, also pledged the regional and government’s support in assisting the affected schools and communities to recover from the disaster.
He gave assurance that the President was poised to bringing relief to all sectors that had been affected including the education sector.
Dr Letsa urged the teachers to exercise patience as the government rallied for support and relief for them.
He further assured the community that his office would work closely with the Education Ministry and other relevant stakeholders to facilitate the reopening of the schools and to also provide the support required to help the students catch up on missed education.
The Heads of Agencies for the Ghana Education Service also present, discussed strategies to ensure that the disrupted educational activities were swiftly resumed.
They also discussed how the affected schools would receive the necessary resources and support to reopen.
Dr Adutwum was accompanied by Dr John Ntim Fordjour, Deputy Education Minister and other officials in the sector.
The visit by the Minister underscores the government’s commitment to addressing the challenges faced by communities affected by natural disasters and reaffirms its dedication to ensuring access to quality education for all Ghanaian students, even in the face of adversity.
GNA