Needy pupils get school package

A total of 132 needy pupils from six deprived primary schools in the Sunyani West District of the Brong Ahafo Region have been presented with a school start-up package, valued at GHC16,000, which is aimed at encouraging the children to study hard.

The donation to the beneficiary pupils from Twumasikrom MA, Nsoatre African Faith, Koduakrom Presby, Amomaso Presby, Kobedi AME Zion and Chiraa SDA Primary Schools was provided under the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) and the Canadian Teachers’ Federation (CTF)/Nova Scotia Teachers’ Union (NSTU) Bookmark Project.

The package included school uniforms, footwear, exercise books, simple readers, chalks, pens, pencils, erasers, pens, dusters, footballs, globe, manila cards and many other teaching and learning materials.

Teacher unions

In 2002, the two sister teacher unions (GNAT/CTF), having recognised that certain factors such as the lack of infrastructure, quality teachers,  parental and community support as well as inadequate learning and teaching materials could hinder  education, established the ‘‘Nkabom’’ project  in order to deal with those challenges.

Speaking at the presentation ceremony, the Coordinator of the project, Mr Ernest Asamoa, disclosed that the project, which started in the Brong Ahafo Region in 2006, included a professional development component to  address  curriculum issues, creative teaching, co-operative learning, production of learning resources and support for school leadership.

He explained that the community mobilisation aspect of the initiative tried to strengthen the bonds between the school and community by organising community days, setting up or reviving dormant parent/teacher associations (PTAs) and school management committees (SMCs).

The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Sunyani West, Ms Agnes Kusi, noted with satisfaction that since the project was began some schools which were under trees had undergone great transformation and improved teaching and learning in the district, adding that such public/private partnerships ought to be sustained in the country.