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• Miss Ellen Ebelin Administrative Manager of  PoP, presenting an e-reader to a pupil.

Electronic device stimulates reading among pupils

The introduction of a device for reading by an American non-governmental organisation (NGO), Pencils of Promise (PoP), has stimulated the habit of reading among pupils in some parts of the Volta Region.

So far, the NGO has supplied the electronic reading device (e-reader) to a total of 3,200 pupils from Class Three to Six in 28 basic schools, at a cost of $400,000. This was after the success story of a pilot project involving six schools with a total population of 700 pupils.

This was made known by the Teacher Support Coordinator of PoP, Mr Fred Parku, at a ceremony to distribute the device to pupils at Adaklu-Soba and Kpeloho in the Adaklu District, last Tuesday.

 

E-reader

He said each e-reader contained 118 books comprising textbooks of the Ghana Education Service (GES) for basic schools and story books, adding that there was room for additional volumes to be loaded onto the device.

He advised pupils to take advantage of the new device so as to revive the reading habit, which is fast dying among them causing a rapid decline in their academic performance.

Mr Parku said the device would be withdrawn during the holidays for updating in order to capture demands of the syllabus of the ensuing academic terms, as well as to update it to the prevailing internet conditions.

He appealed to parents and teachers to commit themselves to ensuring that the new intervention for pupils was delivered safely in order to uplift the falling standards in education in the area.

Achievements

According to him, since the commencement of its operations in the country, PoP had awarded scholarships to 192 beneficiaries from six schools, constructed 56 school blocks, rendered teacher support to 28 schools, and engaged two schools in Self-Organised Learning Environment (SOLE) learning programmes and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene(WASH) programmes in 30 schools. 

Commendation and expectation

In an address delivered on his behalf, the Adaklu District Chief Executive, Mr Emmanuel Sky Ganaku, commended the NGO for its intervention in the area, adding that the observation that reading habits had improved in the pilot operation areas was a remarkable achievement. He advised beneficiary pupils to take extra care of the device so it could positively impact on their examination results.

The Assemblymember for the area, Mr Matthew Akorli, expressed the hope that the new device would help pupils, parents and teachers to rediscover themselves towards the restoration of fallen standards, which had badly affected pupil’s output.

In his address, the Headmaster of the Soba DA Basic School, Mr Evaristus Tsikplornu, promised that the device would be put to good use to achieve the desired results.

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