TAP project schools in Gomoa West receive awards

Apam (C/R), July 11, GNA - The four schools in Gomoa West District managed by the Transition And Persistence (TAP) Project being implemented jointly by USAID and Plan Ghana were presented with awards at a ceremony at Apam.

The TAP Project aims at increasing Junior High School (JHS) enrollment and to bridge the gap between Primary and JHS completion rates.

The Project is being implemented in 156 JHS across 13 districts in four regions, namely Central, Eastern, Brong Ahafo and Greater Accra.

The four schools which are benefiting from the Project in Gomoa West are Nkoransa D/A JHS, Brofo D/A JHS, Mankoadze Methodist JHS and Wassa/Nkran Methodist JHS.

The Project, which is being funded jointly by USAID and Plan Ghana, has three-year duration.

Miss Janet Barnes, a teacher of Nkoransa JHS, was adjudged the best female teacher in the four schools and was presented with a lap top computer whilst Mr Emmanuel Amoah of Mankoadze Methodist JHS also received a lap top for being the best male teacher. Both were also presented with certificates.

Wassa/Nkran Methodist JHS was adjudged the best school and will be provided with an ICT Centre and Library, whilst Nkoransa D/A JHS and Mankoadze Methodist JHS, the first and second runners-up, were presented with certificates.

Mrs Grace Adzo Obodai, Acting Gomoa West District Director of Education, commended the two NGOs, USAD and Plan Ghana for putting in many interventions to ensure pupil retention and completion of schools.

She appealed to the District Assemblies and other NGOs to emulate the examples of the two organisations to ensure that school-dropout rate was minimised.

Miss Obodai expressed concern about how the Project would be sustained after the exit of the two organisations and urged the District Assemblies to take up the challenge.

Miss Edith Lotsu, Construction Engineer, USAID Education Project, said since the inception of the project in July 2010, they had trained 156 teachers in Mathematics and English respectively, 156 teachers in ICT and the capacity of School Management Committees in 156 schools strengthened to support School Improvement Performances.

She said 1,246 girls were sponsored to attend vacation camps, 65 Rights of the Child clubs formed with two patrons trained and major repairs were carried on 19 schools and seven JHS replaced.

Miss Lotsu said they also provided scholarship to needy students and also sponsored teachers for distance learning courses.

She expressed the hope that the support being given would enable pupils enjoy school, stay in school to complete with good grades.

“We want our students to take charge of the future development agenda of our dear nation,” she said.

Mr Anthony Eyiah-Quansah, Presiding Member of Gomoa West Assembly, said education is the key to human development and urged parents to invest in their children's education.

The Very Reverend Ebo Walters, Superintendent Minister of the Apam Circuit of the Methodist Church, said lack of supervision in schools was the bane of the falling standard of education.

He expressed concern about the “girl-child” mantra and said if the boys were left out the nation would produce a lot of armed robbers.

GNA