Chuchuliga (U/E), Aug 1, GNA – Dr Michael Wombeogo, the Executive Director of the Participatory Action for Rural Development Alternatives (PARDA), a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), says the standard of education must be equal for all Ghanaians regardless of their location and point of learning.
“PARDA frowns on inequality in standards of education. It is in this consideration that PARDA and Children Believe (CB) Ghana, have offered to break the odds through provision of quality teaching and learning for the pupils within the Builsa North Municipality and the Kassena-Nankana West District,” he said.
Dr Wombeogo was speaking at a ceremony to handover 520 dual desks to six basic schools in the Builsa North Municipality and Kassena-Nankana West District to enhance the comfort of learners and improve quality education in the areas.
The beneficiary schools in the Municipality and District include; the Yipaala Primary School, Namonsa Primary School, Awulansa Primary, Chiana, Yidania and Ayagitam Primary Schools.
“This will be the fifth time PARDA has provided furniture to schools in Builsa North Municipality and Kassena-Nankana West District in the past two years,” Dr Wombeogo said.
He said the furniture was provided under the Gift Catalogue and core programme funds under the Builsa-Kassena Area Child Development Partnership programme between CB and PARDA within the financial year, 2023 planned activities.
The Executive Director said the gesture by PARDA and its funding partner, CB, signified the commitment of his outfit to complement government’s efforts at providing quality education for all, regardless of their location.
He acknowledged the support of their sponsors, especially CB Ghana, for their firm believe in fulfilling the vision of PARDA, and for the provision of quality education for children as their contribution to the quest of advancing Ghana’s economy through quality education.
Dr Wombeogo further craved the indulgence of the Regional and District Education Directorates of the Ghana Education Service to take child protection to a much higher level.
He observed that child abuse, teenage pregnancy and substance abuse by children and the youth was common in most communities in the Upper East Region.
“It is in this vein that PARDA and her partners plead with you to ensure close monitoring of schools, utilization of educational resources and teachers’ awareness on the dangers involved in not protecting children from their early ages against social vices and challenges,” he said.
Mrs Esenam Kavi De Souza, the Country Manager for CB, in a speech read on her behalf, said CB was a child-focused community development organization with over 25years practice in Ghana.
She said prior to the fiscal year 2023, PARDA conducted assessment in all 17 operational Primary Schools in the Municipality and District to ascertain the situation of furniture adequacy in the Builsa-Kassena Area Child Development programme.
She said even though the results of the assessment indicated that there was a huge furniture deficit in most of the Primary Schools, the situation in the beneficiary schools was dire.
She noted that CB’s work over the years had been in education, as it prioritizes Early Childhood Development Education (ECD) and launched its “Centre of Excellence” initiative in ECD about four years ago.
Mrs De Souza said CB was committed to working with, and supporting government, PARDA, communities and schools to ensure access to quality inclusive basic education for all children in Ghana, especially in its programme communities.
The Kassena-Nankana West District Chief Executive, Mr Gerard Ataogye, who received the furniture on behalf of the two Districts, thanked PARDA and CB for the gesture, and called on other NGOs to emulate same, to complement government’s efforts in the education sector.
GNA