Konongo (Ash), July 23, GNA - Mr Kofi Opoku Manu, Ashanti Regional
Minister has commended the Catholic Church for its role in promoting
education in the country.
He said the Church had over the years contributed immensely to the
education sector through the establishment of schools most of which have
produced prominent Ghanaians for national development.
The regional minister said this at the inauguration and fund raising ceremony
of Saint Mary's Girls Senior High School at Konongo.
The event, which was on the theme: "Girl Child Education, an Invaluable
Asset to National Development", was aimed at raising funds to improve on
facilities in the school that was established in 2007.
Mr Opoku Manu, who is also the chairman of the Board of Governors of
the school, urged the authorities of the school to work hard to surmount the
problem confronting them.
He lauded the Church's decision to establish girls' school and said it was in
line with government's objective to promote girl-child education.
He said government was pursuing a comprehensive plan to enhance
education from the basic to tertiary level saying premium would be placed on
girl child education.
Rev. Fr. Dr. Paul Attah-Nsiah, Vicar General of the Konongo-Mampong
Diocese said the establishment of the school was informed by the Church's
aspiration to develop the girl-child concept in Ghana and Asante Akim North
Municipality in particular.
He said it was in fulfillment of a resolution during the Church's recent
centenary celebration to serve the dual purposes of addressing an urgent need
in the catchments and as a monument for the celebration.
The Vicar General noted that gender discrimination had kept most young
girls out of school, forcing others into early marriages against their wishes.
"The girl child needs to be freed from such mental shackles and provided
with a new orientation and disposition through quality education", he stated.
Mrs Comfort Amponsah, headmistress of the school said the school lacked
facilities such as library, science laboratory as well as teachers'
accommodation and called on stakeholders to help address the problem.
She further urged the Ghana Education Service (GES) to expedite the
process of absorbing the school into the public sector system to enable them
enjoy government assistance.
GNA