Dwankrom Presby JHS in dire need of classroom block

By Prosper K. Kuorsoh, GNA
Dwankrom, (B/A), June 26, GNA - Dwankrom Presby Junior High School (JHS) in the Sene West District of the Brong Ahafo Region is in dire need of a 3-Unit classroom block before the end of the 2015-2016 academic year.

The school currently has form one students who are having their classes under a rickety pavilion put up by the community members in their effort to ensure that their children have JHS education in the locality.

However, this effort would come to not if something urgent is not done to avert a possible situation of learning under trees come next academic year.

Doris Dankwah, a pupil from the community raised the issue during a social accountability forum, organised by Community Development Alliance (CDA) under a flagship project 'Ghana Strengthening Accountability Mechanism (GSAM)' funded by USAID through a consortium of NGOs led by CARE International.

'At the end of this academic year, primary six students will come to form one while the form one students also move to form two, who will sit in the pavilion and who will sit where?', she asked.

She therefore appealed to the government to give the school a 3-Unit Classroom block to enhance teaching and learning.

Mr Salifu Issifu Kanton, Executive Director of CDA commended the girl for raising such a critical need of the community, saying that was what the GSAM project was all about.

It is about building capacities of communities to demand for accountability, participation and a fair share of development projects from government through their district assemblies, he noted.

Mr Kanton added that it was also to strengthen community's oversight responsibility on their district assemblies in the delivery of capital development projects to ensure performance and delivery services and development outcomes since the communities were the ultimate beneficiaries of such projects.

The CDA Executive Director reminded the community that funds for such projects came from the taxes collected by government, hence the need for them to work hand-in-hand with the district assemblies to ensure judicious use of such funds.

Mr Kanton explained that development projects from government to communities was not a favour but rather the right of the communities, hence the need for them to take interest in such projects and ensure that no contractor did shoddy work.

Mr Lassi George, the Assembly man of for the area described the sensitisation forum as an eye opener for the community members, adding that now they know the right channels to follow to have such issues addressed.

He said district assemblies always complain about lack of resources to do effective monitoring of projects, adding with these empowerment community members would now be able to put an eye on projects and report any shortfalls or otherwise to their assemblies.

GNA