By Philip Tengzu
Konchuri, (UW/R), Nov. 17, GNA – School Children at Konchuri Basic School in the Jirapa Municipality have been relieved of the challenge of inadequate furniture following a donation of 147 student furniture to the school by ActionAid Ghana (AAG) through its Child Sponsorship scheme.
The donation comprised mono and dual desks and hexagonal tables and chairs expected to benefit about 212 children in the school from Kindergarten to Junior High levels.
The student population of about 212 was managing about 30 benches gifted to the school by a philanthropist, which compelled the children to carry kitchen stools from their homes to the school.
Those who could not afford the chairs sat on the bare floor to receive academic instructions.
Speaking at a durbar at the community to hand over the furniture, Mr John Nkaw, the Country Director of ActionAid Ghana, said the situation hampered the effectiveness and quality of teaching and learning in the school.
He, therefore, expressed hope that the furniture would help aid effective teaching and learning and contribute to improving the learning outcomes of the pupils.
Mr Nkaw explained that AAG, through its Public Policy Influencing Programme in the region, identified the furniture needs of the Koncuri Basic School after conducting a needs assessment and took the initiative to bridge the furniture gap.
The organisation also donated about 2000 school bags to the school children across 22 communities, including twelve communities in the Jirapa Municipality and eight communities in Lambussie District, with 336 children from Konchuri, Chacha and Guo Basic schools benefitting.
He said, “Let me indicate that the support being provided to the Konchuri Basic School has been made possible through the financial resources mobilised from the Child Sponsorship scheme.”
Nana Yaw Okyere Aduachie, the ActionAid Board Chairperson, urged the leadership of the Konchuri Community and the Ghana Education Service to strengthen their partnership with AAG in the region and Ghana to promote educational development.
Mr Huudu A. Kunaateh, the Jirapa Municipal Education Director, commended AAG for its interventions in the municipality to help reduce the challenges in the educational sector.
He said the furniture deficit in the municipality currently stood at 9,763 even though the Municipal Assembly had made strides in providing furniture to the schools.
“The lack of proper furniture has posed challenges to our students’ learning environment, hindering their focus and comfort in classrooms. But today, thanks to Action Aid Ghana, we stand on the brink of change”, Mr Kunaateh explained.
In a speech read on his behalf, Mr Nicholas Soyiri, the Jirapa Municipal Chief Executive, said the Municipal Assembly was collaborating with the Municipal Education Directorate to improve the quality of education in the municipality.
He said as part of the efforts, the assembly had procured 500 dual desks to be distributed to selected basic schools in the municipality.
Mr Bamile Francis, the Head teacher of the school said the support by AAG to the school would encourage enrolment of the children as the lack of educational materials including furniture discouraged some children from attending school.
GNA