Don't Wait For Formal Launch - Ametefe Charges

Henry Ametefe

DEPUTY VOLTA Regional Minister, Henry Ametefe has expressed worry about heads of educational institutions who abandon school buildings with the excuse that they waiting for them to be commissioned.

He has consequently directed school heads to make full use of projects once they are completed even if they have not been   commissioned, saying buildings are not meant for mere decoration.

Mr. Ametefe gave the directive at Ho during the First Volta Regional Delegates Conference of Heads of Basic Schools (COHBS).

It was under the theme: 'Quality Education Delivery at the Basic Level: Challenges and Role of the Heads.'

The order was given following several cases where students were compelled to study under unfavorable conditions while awaiting the inauguration of one building or the other.

Late last year, media reports surfaced that female students of Mawuli Secondary School in Ho were made to sleep under uncomfortable conditions while a three-storey dormitory remained unused because it had not been commissioned. 

The deputy minister disclosed that the government's Accelerated Schools Infrastructural Development program is on course and that over 200 six-unit classroom blocks are at various stages of completion in the region. Government is also seriously pursuing an ICT education policy in the region, he said.

Mr. Ametefe noted under the Taipei International Computer Libraries Project, eight senior high schools have each been supplied with 50 computers while government is collaborating with Intel Cooperation to integrate ICT into the curriculum towards ICT skills development for all.

He urged stakeholders to ensure that education in the region improved.

Volta Regional Director of Education, Gabriel Kploanyi underscored the importance of basic schools in the provision of quality education. He said a major setback to good education in the region is the inadequate number of teachers.

He however encouraged school heads to make full use the teachers available to boost results.

Mr. Kploanyi also called on parents, traditional and opinion leaders to cooperate with the teachers to instill discipline and hard work in the pupils.

The President of COHBS, Vincentia Darkey mentioned delays in the release of the capitation grant and the distribution of logistics as some of their challenges.

Others are the lack of computers, exclusion of some head teachers from receiving allowances and too many teachers leaving school to participate in sandwich programmes.

Ms. Darkey disclosed that COHBS has planned to organize workshops for its members to build their capacity in administration, ICT and current educational policies.

 From Fred Duodu, Ho