By Albert Futukpor
Tamale, Jan 29, GNA – Teach2Teach International, and Centre for Literacy and Vocational Support, have launched their Community Volunteer Teacher (CVT) and Radio Broadcast Programme that would help ensure effective teaching and learning in hard-to-reach communities in the Northern and Savannah Regions.
Teach2Teach International is a United Kingdom registered charity organisation while Centre for Literacy and Vocational Support is an NGO based in Tamale.
As part of the launch, a total of 15 CVTs have been deployed to teach in five basic schools in the two regions for seven months (January to July) to ensure that pupils in the areas have the full benefit of teaching and learning while 16 pre-recorded educational radio programmes would also be aired to communities for one and a half months.
The CVTs were Senior High School leavers, who were recruited, trained, and deployed to hard-to-reach communities to teach and they would stay in the communities to teach as resident CVTs.
The schools included Waribogu Kukuo Ahmadiyya Primary School at Tolon District, Kpunduli Primary School at Nanton District, and Tutingyili Primary School at Savelugu Municipality in the Northern Region, and Sankpala Holy Rosary Primary School at Central Gonja District in the Savannah Region.
Alhaji Mohammed Alhassan Karimu, Executive Director, Centre for Literacy and Vocational Support, speaking during the press launch of the initiative in Tamale, said it was to ensure that “Lateness, and absenteeism that we experience in some of our schools regarding teachers will be eliminated so that children will have the fullest benefit of teaching and learning in their schools.”
He said the CVTs underwent training on pedagogical skills, lesson plan preparation, and use of teaching and learning resources to ensure effective teaching and learning for pupils at the lower primary school level.
Alhaji Karimu spoke about the radio programme saying “We have identified communities and we have established community listener groups and play radio programmes through radios to community members to listen to and phone in. This gives them the opportunity to tell their stories. Some have schools that do not have teachers, and furniture. With this, we give them the opportunity to air their voices to let the public know about them.
He urged the CVTs to apply the lessons taught them to effectively deliver lessons to children in the schools.
Anita Lowenstein Dent, Founder, Teach2Teach International, expressed the organisation’s commitment to ensuring quality education in the country.
Hajia Katumi Natogmah Attah, Northern Regional Director of Education, lauded the initiative saying it was a significant step to enhancing quality education and fostering a collaborative approach to learning in communities. She urged all to embrace the initiative with enthusiasm and chart a positive way for improving education for children.
GNA