81 Schools in flood-hit areas resume
Teaching and learning have resumed in 81 out of 108 schools in the nine districts affected by the recent Akosombo Dam spillage, the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Dr Eric Nkansah, has announced.
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“We are also making good progress, working with key stakeholders to restore teaching and learning in the remaining 27 schools within the North Tongu District, which for the most part, are used as camps and safe havens by displaced households.
“Ultimately, the goal is to ensure that all schools affected by the floods resume teaching and learning activities within the shortest possible time,” he said.
Dr Nkansah said this after a three-day working visit to the nine districts which were affected by the spillage of the Akosombo Dam by the Volta River Authority (VRA).
Follow-up trip
The visit by the DG, who was accompanied by some key directors from the GES Headquarters, was a follow-up to an earlier one by the Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum.
It was to evaluate the implementation of the Education in Emergency Plan put in place by the GES.
During the visit, the DG donated relief items to the affected communities such as tents to be mounted as temporary classrooms and also relocate learners and teachers in some affected areas to unaffected schools in the nearby communities.
With the support of UNICEF and other development partners, Dr Nkansah handed over 3,000 school uniforms, 800 packs of teaching and learning materials, 10 boxes of school-in-a-box kits, four tents, 36 packages of recreation kits, and 32 Early Childhood Development kits to the affected communities.
He indicated that they had so far worked together as one people to achieve that feat and thanked God for preserving the lives of all the learners and their parents in those challenging times.
He commended the efforts of the Volta Regional Minister, Dr Yao Archibald Letsa, the Regional Director of Education, Francis Agbemadi, district directors of education, traditional authorities, DCEs and MPs of the nine districts, for their immense contributions towards restoring teaching and learning in the affected schools.
Education in Emergency Plan
As part of the visit, Dr Nkansah met with the stakeholders in the hardest-hit areas, including the traditional leaders of the Mepe Traditional Area; Fieve Traditional Area; DCE for North Tongu, Divine Osborne Fenu; MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa; and the North Tongu District Director of Education, Isabella Ayimey.
He also met the Volta regional minister, staff of the Volta Regional Education Office, and held an open forum with staff of the Regional Education Directorate, district directors, and other education stakeholders in the region, including members from CODE, COMEU, and COHBS.
They discussed, among other things, the implementation of the ongoing GES Education in Emergency Plan, evaluated progress made so far and identified grey areas for further action.