JICA donates 30 motor bikes to GES INSET Project

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), has donated 30 motorbikes to the In-Service Training (INSET) project of the Ghana Education Service (GES) in a short ceremony at the Overseas Union Limited Warehouse in Accra.

The motorbikes are to be used by district level INSET structures such as the District Training Officers, District Master Trainers, District Teacher Support Teams and Circuit Supervisors, to enhance effective supervision and monitoring of the INSET Programme, which JICA has been supporting in many forms since the year 2000.

The INSET project which started as a pilot in 3 districts has been institutionalized in all 170 districts across the country, with the overall goal of improving the teaching abilities of public primary school teachers in the area of mathematics and science.

Fifteen (15) well-performing INSET districts including; Asuogyamang, New Juaben, Kimtampo, Kajebi, Ashanti Bekwei, Wa West, Bibiani Bekwai, Bolga Municipality, Savulugu, Suhum Krobo, Kwaebibrem, Adaklu, Komenda, Lower Manya and Tema Metropolitan benefitted from the donation.

According to Mr. Koichi Kito, JICA's Deputy Resident Representative, 'The reason for donating these motorbikes is to ensure enhanced supervision and monitoring activities by District and National INSET Unit, which should results in more primary schools implementing more School-Based and Cluster-Based INSET each year, more teachers learning from and being satisfied with the quality of School-Based and Cluster-Based INSETs conducted, and ultimately, the teaching abilities of primary school teachers being improved and pupil's performance being improved.'

In accepting the donation, Mr. Stephen Adu, Acting Deputy Director-General of the GES said; 'We thank JICA for the continued support for the INSET project and other projects of the GES. We assure JICA that the motorbikes will be used for the intended purpose and I call on all beneficiaries that they ensure that the motorbikes are well maintained and serviced intermittently for longevity.'

JICA continues to dispatch experts to support the Teacher Education Division of the Ghana Education Service to establish and reinforce the nationwide management system for INSET and provide technical expertise to formulate the necessary policy such as the Teacher Development Policy.