MPs Contribute Massively to Education
In achieving the “education for all”goal, individual efforts are as vital as government's efforts. Collectively put together and sustained, Ghana will achieve her much sought after educational goal. In separate interviews of The Timeline with some members of the legislature, it was discovered that Mps in their diverse ways have been helping to make education affordable and accessible in their constituencies.Making good use of the various funds they access as well as their personal resources, most of them have put many educational interventions in place mostly in awarding scholarships, ICT education, libraries as well as classroom infrastructural development.
In today's edition we catalogue the educational contributions of six of the MPs whose developmental works we published in full in our past editions.
Hon. Frederick Opare-Ansah- Suhum Constituency
• Provided 100 Scholarships, Support ICT Education, Libraries, Free Supply of computers etc.
Hon. Frederick Opare Ansah, MP for Suhum has instituted a scholarship scheme in his constituency which has so far financed the education of more than 100 needy but brilliant students from various levels of education including senior high schools, nurses and teacher training colleges, polytechnics and universities. This scheme ranges from full scholarship through to half depending on the level of need of the student.
He has also executed a number of projects in ICT. This includes the distribution of free complete set of computers to all Second Cycle Institutions and Junior High Schools in the constituency to enhance effective learning of ICT in the schools. Junior High Schools who are located in areas without electricity were further provided with generators to help power the computers. This he did in response of the new school syllabus which included ICT to ensure that students in his constituency perform well on the subject. Another is the construction of the Nankese ICT centre where constituentsreceive free IT training and it is opened to all groups of people including students, pupils, teachers, chiefs, and anyone who shows interest.
Infrastructuraldevelopment works include the construction of a 6- unit classroom block for 7 communities; 6 of which are expected to be completed by the end of 2011.
Hon. Fred Opare-Ansah who doubles as the Minority Chief Whip in Parliament also told this paper that he has donated 4 motorcycles to the Suhum district education directorate to enhance the work of circuit supervisors. A community library has also been builtat Nankesi.
Hon. Gershon Gbediame - Nkwanta South Constituency
• Fee Paying Interventions and Infrastructural Development
The MP for the Nkwanta South Constituency Hon. Gershon Gbediame toldTheTimelinein an interview that he supports students who have excelled in their WASCE and have gained admission into the tertiary institutions by paying for their admission fees and registration processes. Students from his constituency, he noted are less privileged as compared with their colleagues in the cities in terms of inadequate teachers and educational materials. Most parents also find it difficult to raise such huge sum of money to pay for their wards' admissions. He thus supports such students in order to secure their admissions.
According to him, more than 100 students have received support through this facility since 2004. Continuing students who are having difficulties in paying their fees are also given financial aid.
At the Senior High Schools level, Hon. Gbediame has been involved in periodic registration of SHS students whose parents are unable to pay for their wards' WASCE registration due to financial limitations. In 2004 for instance, he registered 35 students from one particular school whose parents could not afford their wards' WASCE registration fees.
The Chief Whip of the Majority Caucus in the House has also been involved in infrastructural development of the basic schools as well as provision of education learning materials to schools in his constituency.
Hon. Catherine Abelema Afeku –Evalue Gwira Constituency
• 100 full Scholarships, Educational Infrastructure Development and Support of ICT
As one of the few female parliamentarians, Hon Catherine Afeku has embarked on a project to promote the education of girls in her constituency. Of the 100 full scholarships, she has awarded, 80% of the beneficiaries are girls with 30 of them in the Axim Girls Senior High School. She told the Timeline in an interview that she spends more than GH¢10,000 but she keeps doing it because education is a priority to her.
She has also been involved in the strengthening of early childhood development by rehabilitating existing dilapidated Day Care Centers, Provision of new ones and the provision of teaching and learning materials. She has so far rehabilitated about 4 day care centers atAyisakro, Awukyere, Ahomkakrom and Kutukrom all in her constituency.
Through her efforts also, two new modern JHS classroom blocks are being constructed in two communities. She has also completed a teachers' bungalow at Anagye to encourage teachers to stay in the community.
In her bid topromote ICT education, Hon. Afeku has constructed a 20 PC ICT lab at the Axim cluster JHS which serves schools in the municipality. Donation of free computers has also been made to several villages that cannot access the 20 PC lab in Axim. She told this reporter that she intends to get internet facility to Axim and also put up a digital library to assist students in their research work.
Hon Nii Nortey Dua - Ledzokuku Constituency
• Modern Library Complex and ICT Centre, Fee Paying Interventions, Infrastructural Development etc.
In the Ledzokuku constituency, the MP, Hon. Nii Nortey Dua who is also the current DeputyYouth and Sports Minister has been providing funds from his Common Fund to support the payment of fees of the less fortunate students. He observed in an interview that he has supported over 100 students at various levels of education. He said this support is usually given at the point of gaining admission since admission fees are normally high.
He has also initiated the construction of modern ICT and Library complex which he intends to complete before the end of this year. This is to encourage reading among students and also afford the schools without computer labs to have practical lessons in ICT.
The MP further noted that he has also been providing expertise for all the second cycle institutions in his constituency for proper maintenance of their computer laboratories. Donation of polytanks has also been made to all Senior High Schools in the constituency to help alleviate the perennial water crisis which these schools face sometimes.
At the basic schools level,Hon. Nii Dua has actively championed the elimination of the shift system in the constituency. This he did by collaborating with the Ledzokuku-Krowor Municipal Assemblyto provide a total of six classroom blocks for the basic schools.
Prof. Mike Oquaye-Dome-Kwabenya
• Scholarships, Building of a Senior High School, ICT Centres and Library
The Dome-Kwabenya MP's commitment to the total development of his constituents is evidenced through the numerous sponsorships he gives to the needy and the less privileged who need assistance to go to school. He disclosed in an interview with The Timeline thatover 500 students have benefited from this sponsorship programme ranging from full scholarships to fees intervention depending on the level of need.
Prof. Mike Oquaye, who is also the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, has initiated the construction of Senior High/Technical School at Atomic which is expected to be operational by September this year on pilot basis. For the first time in its history, the Dome – Kwabenya Constituency will boast of a second cycle institution as it currently lacks a senior high school. The MP told this reporter that the school which will be a day school will focus more on technical training,be affordable by all
Ongoing is also the construction of a modern library and an ICT complex which will be incorporated into the secondary school.
His interventions at the basic school level include the construction of a 3-unit classroom block with offices at the Atomic D/A basic school and Taifa Community School, provision of desks as well as the re-roofing of some classroom blocks.
Hon. Capt. Rtd. Nfodjo-Ho Central Constituency
• Fee paying interventions, Support in ICT and Infrastructural development
Hon. Capt GeorgeNfojoh in an interview with this paper on his developmental works disclosed that he has a school fees paying intervention programme in place for needy but brilliant students in his constituency. Although not a full scholarship scheme, this programme comes as a support to parents and students who are having real difficulties in paying their fees. In 2010 alone, more that GHC32000 has gone into the payment of fees for students at various levels from senior high schools to the tertiary institutions. He does this with the intention of keeping more students in the classroom adding that over 500 students in Senior High Schools and Tertiary Institutions have been catered for through this programme.
In ICT, the construction of a 100 sitting capacity ICT Centre is currently underway at the Kpoanyigba Junior High school at Ho Bankoe to improve the study of ICT .This project is expected to be completed by the end of this year.