Assembly earmarks GH¢ 15,000 for education fund

Konongo (Ash), Dec. 17, GNA - The Asante Akim North Municipal Assembly has earmarked GH¢ 15,000 from its common fund as seed money for the establishment on an education development fund to promote quality education in the municipality.

The assembly has also introduced a special levy of GH¢ 2 to be collected from persons between the ages of 18-70 living in the municipality annually to sustain the fund, while citizens living outside the municipality would pay GH¢ 5.

Mr. Obeng Mireku, Chairman of the fund called 'Municipal Education Development Fund' announced this at the launch of the fund at Konongo on Wednesday.

He said the assembly would among other things sponsor 12 brilliant but needy students annually and appealed to the general public to embrace the initiative.

He said plans for the establishment of the fund had been on the drawing board for years, adding that it required the support of all stakeholders to ensure its success.

Mr. Thomas Osei-Bonsu, the Municipal Chief Executive, expressed concern about the fallen standard of education in the municipality over the years.

He said it was ironic that the municipality was endowed with prominent schools yet the standard of education was dwindling and promised to help reverse the trend.

He said plans were underway to open at least one Information Communication Technology (ICT) centre in all area councils and called on corporate bodies, civil society groups and philanthropists to contribute to the fund

Dr. Osei Darkwa, President of Ghana Telecom University and citizen of the municipality, said only three per cent of the national population had access to tertiary education.

He said the situation was different in Europe where 60 per cent of the population had access to tertiary education due to support systems put in place and called on well meaning Ghanaians to support the fund.

GNA