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Education directors warned against selling school supplies

The Minister of Education, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, has warned regional and district directors of education that the ministry will not shield anyone who sells school supplies meant for use by schools.

“We do not expect that these items will be sold. Our investigations are showing some untoward and even criminal activities regarding some of these items. The ministry will not protect wrongdoers,” she warned.

Prof. Opoku-Agyemang gave the warning at the presentation of routine supplies to basic schools in the country for the 2015/2016 academic year.

Items

The items, which were presented to the 10 regional directors of education, included 42,000 teachers note books, 1,195,250 boxes of chalk, 98,506 pupils attendance registers and 15,000 exercise books.

“Please do not sell them, lock them up in storage, leave them in the sun or lock them up in the regional, district offices or in the storeroom of the schools and then turn round to complain of their lack, as happens some of the time,” she stressed.

“These supplies are expected to reach all basic schools across the country before schools reopen on September 8, 2015,” Prof. Opoku-Agyemang told the regional directors.
She said the expectation of the ministry was to visit the schools and find the items in proper use, with proper documentation covering their use.

The minister explained that the supply of the items was to ensure that learning began on reopening and stressed that the provision of teaching/learning materials and infrastructure remained a key responsibility of the government, which it had always executed.

School uniforms

Prof. Opoku-Agyemang announced that contracts had been awarded for the supply of 291,814 school uniforms to basic schoolchildren across the country, the distribution of which had started.

In addition, she said 10,000 sandals had been procured and distribution to needy children was ongoing, while the government was in the process of procuring textbooks for senior high schools (SHSs) across the country.

On furniture, she said based on needs assessment for the 2015/2016 academic year, the ministry had so far procured and distributed 18,357 metal bunk beds, 24,597 dual desks, 1,110 basic school teacher tables and chairs.

The others, according to her, were 1,110 SHS teacher tables and chairs, 17,707 mono desks for SHSs and 1,872 KG tables and benches.

Infrastructure

Touching on school infrastructure, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang announced that contracts had been awarded for the provision of toilet facilities for both basic schools and SHSs, as well as the rehabilitation of some dilapidated school buildings.

“Contracts for the construction of various facilities such as dining halls, kitchens, classrooms and dormitory blocks have been awarded and they are at various stages of completion.

“Selected basic schools and SHSs have been provided with 220 boreholes to date,” she further announced.

Schools under trees

She also said in the 2013/2014 academic year, the ministry, in its effort to eliminate schools under trees, with funding from the government and the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), constructed 1,614 classroom blocks across the country in the first phase.

The minister said in the second phase this 2015/2016 academic year, there were plans to construct an additional 481 schools.

The Deputy Minister of Education in charge of Pre-tertiary, Mr Alex Kyeremeh, welcoming the directors, urged them to ensure that the items reached all schools before September 8, 2015.

The acting Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Mr Jacob A.M. Kor, on behalf of the directors thanked the government through the ministry for the supply of the items.

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