Need to invest in basic educational institutions - Nettey

Accra, June 21, GNA – Mr Tetteh Nettey, President of Meridian Pre-University, on Thursday called for investment in basic education institutions since they served as the foundation for academic development of the child to meet the country's manpower needs.

He said “Basic schools serve as feeding grounds and nurturing stage for tertiary institutions; the quality of products at secondary and tertiary levels depends largely on the foundation built at the basic levels.”

“But unfortunately our educational investment has largely focused on secondary and tertiary levels leaving basic levels to their fate, they have no old students associations to aid them,” Mr Nettey said at a press conference in Accra to highlight the plight of rural basic schools.

He said education institutions in rural and urban poor communities needed support and incentives to motivate both teachers and pupils to give-out their best....”the transformation of rural communities depends largely on improvement in the educational standards”.

Mr Nettey said Meridian Pre-University in collaboration with Marshals University have decided to team-up to advocate on behalf of basic schools especially rural and urban poor to attract investment and support from corporate bodies.

He said: “Education holds the key to bridging the poverty gap, developmental challenges and deprivation between the rural communities and urban centres....let's not deny them the basic necessity to life education which is a fundamental right to every child”.

To demonstrate the two institutions' commitment to basic schools improvement; Mr Nettey led a team of students and staff to donate educationa materials to the Akwamufie Primary and Junior High Schools at Akosombo.

Mr Nettey commended teachers working in rural schools for demonstrating great patriotism in teaching in rural communities..."Society needs to reward their effort by constantly providing basic incentives to rural schools”.

Nana Kwasi Okona IV, Akwamufie Twidan Hene and Madam Paulina Asare, Headmistress of Akwamufie Primary and JHS, received the donation on behalf of the school.

Nana Okona commended the institutions for the support

GNA