By Gilbert Azeem Tiroog
Nyariga (U/E), Nov 04, GNA – The Nyariga Doone Girls Junior High School in the Bolgatanga Municipality in the Upper East Region has launched an Educational Development Fund to tackle infrastructure deficit to meet growing enrollment demand in the school.
The fund was launched at its maiden community stakeholder forum on education at Nyariga since the establishment of the school in 1998 with 21 girls.
The school, started by a private individual, Reverend John Akaribo and now owned by the government, has seen tremendous improvement and growth over the years.
The school has a current student population of 600 at the primary level while the JHS has a population of 150 students, giving an average of 50 students in a class.
Reverend Akaribo, addressing stakeholders at the forum said the growth of the student population had come with infrastructure challenges forcing authorities of the JHS in particular, to deny numerous girls access to education in the all-girls’ school.
“Faced with this legitimate challenge we have decided to provide the school with a standard two-unit three classroom blocks to admit more girls and decongest the choked classrooms to run two streams of classes of A and B”, he said
Reverend Akaribo indicated that being conscious of inadequate staff to teach the classes, management was planning with the St. John Bosco College of Education in Navrongo, to annually post trainees to complement the teaching staff.
On the proposed funding plan, he said the funding plans for the project would include a special development Levy, Fund Raising, Donation, and Appeal for Fund in cash or kind from all and sundry.
He commended the Blessing Basket Project (BBJ), a non-governmental organization for its continuous support to the school, emphasizing that it had in the past, supported the school with the current three classroom block, an office and store, a computer lab, six-seater KVIP, a borehole and computers.
A speech delivered on behalf of Professor Peter Boamah, the Pro Vice Chancellor of the Bolgatanga Technical University, emphasised the importance of gender inclusive technical education and financing for socio economic development.
He noted that women and girls faced numerous challenges, including negative stereotypes, harmful socio-cultural norms and financial barriers, which hindered their ability to enroll and complete their education.
He said the initiative to support girl child education was worth it and called on stakeholders to give in their support.
Mr. Rudolf Nyaaba, the Vice Principal St. John Bosco College of Education urged residents of the community to show commitment in the education of their children, adding that his outfit was committed to providing the needed technical support to the school.
Mr. Simon Aduko, the Assistant Headteacher of the school, thanked the founder and BBJ for their support for the school over the years and called on the residents of the community to support the school to tackle the infrastructure deficit.
Mr. Alagaara Atinkiine, a representative of the chief of Nyariga, called on residents of the community including those in the diaspora to support the construction of the classrooms to improve academic activities, adding that a fund-raising forum would be organised in the middle of November 2024.
GNA