Kambonsiya (N/R), June 06, GNA – A ground-breaking ceremony has been held to mark the commencement for the construction of classroom blocks and rehabilitate those in a deplorable state to eliminate schools under trees situation in the country.
In line with this initiative, 18 schools are expected to be constructed in all the regions across the country this year at the cost of GHc6 million to offer a conducive study environment for children to learn.
The initiative, which is being championed by VALCO Trust Fund, a state institution, with a projected budget of Ghc3.5 billion, seeks to construct, within a period of five years, some 5,403 schools, which currently operate under trees and those that are in dilapidated structures.
The structures will include classroom blocks for kindergartens, primary and junior high schools with ancillary facilities such as headteacher’s offices, staff common rooms, toilet facilities, libraries, ICT laboratories and boreholes with furniture to be supplied.
Mr Kwesi Osei Agyapong, Acting Board Chairman of VALCO Trust Fund, who spoke at the ground breaking ceremony at Kambonsiya, a remote community in the Karaga District of the Northern Region, said the initiative was to further contribute to the advancement of education in the country.
Mr Agyapong said VALCO Trust Fund did not have all the funds to construct the classroom blocks and appealed to corporate institutions and the citizenry to contribute money to the Trust Fund to support the initiative.
Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, Minister for Education, whose speech was read on his behalf by Dr Peter Attafuah, Northern Regional Director of Education, said the initiative was a clear indication that the government was serious about providing quality education for the citizenry.
Alhaji Shani Alhassan Saibu, Northern Regional Minister spoke about the importance of education in the lives of individuals and the state, urged parents to continue to invest in the education of their children to unleash their potentials.
Dr Mohammed Amin Adam, Member of Parliament for Karaga spoke about government’s interventions in the area, saying it had done a lot in the area of provision of educational infrastructure for the area.
GNA