By Caleb Kuleke
Ho, Oct. 14, GNA- Plan International Ghana, a non-governmental organization, has provided some teaching and learning materials to the Ghana Education Service in Volta and Oti regions to support quality education delivery.
The items, which included textbooks and school bags, are to be distributed to schools in Plan International Ghana’s operational districts and municipalities – South Tongu, Hohoe, Afadjato South, Guan and Jasikan.
Mr Solomon TesfaMariam, Country Director for Plan International Ghana, said the gesture was to complement government’s efforts in enhancing equality in education in the country.
He disclosed that in Plan’s fiscal year of 2023, Southern Programme Influencing and Impact Area (SPIIA) had invested more than GH¢2.7 million in inclusive quality education which benefited a total of 28,552 children and youth in its operational areas.
MrTesfaMariam said the SPIIA partnered 66 communities with sponsorship and grant funded programmes anchored by its Country Strategy (2021 – 2025) in the five operational districts and municipalities.
He said some communities were supported with school infrastructure, teaching and learning materials and secondary scholarships for needy children and capacity building for teachers and school management committee.
Mr TesfaMariam said with collaboration with GES, 128 English Language, Integrated science and Mathematics teachers from 46 partner communities in Volta and Oti were trained in gender-responsive pedagogy.
To fill furniture gaps identified in lower grades, he said, a total of 1,360 dual desks were also procured and distributed to 46 schools in the partner communities in the two regions
He said within the same fiscal year, 2, 251 textbooks in English, mathematics and science, and 2, 957 library books were procured and distributed to schools within their partnership communities.
“With financial support to GES, 12 school management committees’ capacities were enhanced to effectively support the management of their schools and 21 school-based children clubs were formed and trained on issues affecting their development especially learning…”
The Country Director said Afadzato South Educational Directorate was also supported within the fiscal year to organise reading competitions amongst pupils to enhance their reading skills.
Mr Francis Yaw Agbemadi, Volta Regional Director of Education, receiving the items on behalf of the beneficiary districts and municipalities thanked Plan International Ghana for the gesture.
He said Plan International Ghana had played key roles in enhancing quality education delivery in both Volta and Oti regions and and demonstrated a true power of collaboration and spirit of support.
Mr Agbemadi said government alone could not shoulder all the increasing needs in the educational sector and required partnership and collaboration from all stakeholders to complement government effort and that was exactly Plan International Ghana was doing.
The Director, however, appealed to Plan International Ghana to scale up its activities to cover a lot more schools in the region so they could also benefit from their operations and called on other organisations to emulate Plan.
GNA