Government committed to solving teachers' accommodation problems
Apam (C/R), Sept. 19, GNA – Mr Theophilus Aidoo-Mensah, Gomoa West District Chief Executive (DCE), has assured teachers in the country of government's determination to solve accommodation problems confronting them.
He said the authorities had instructed the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to build quarters for teachers, especially those in the rural areas, to motivate them to stay in such places.
Mr Aidoo-Mensah gave the assurance when he was inaugurating two teachers' quarters at separate functions at Apam and Gomoa Simbrofo, near Apam in the Central Region.
The DCE inaugurated a six-unit teachers' accommodation for the Presbyterian School at Apam, where government had also constructed a three-unit kindergarten block, and work on a six-unit classroom block was on going.
The DCE appealed to Ghanaians to reject politicians, who were advocating free Senior High School (SHS) education without planning for the expansion of education facilities, and the increase in the number of teachers.
Mr Aidoo-Mensah said the possibility of making SHS education free in the country was doubtful, because the School Feeding Programme was yet to cover one-quarter of children in primary schools, schools were being held under trees, and the Junior High Schools were bedeviled with challenges, resulting in poor performance of students in examinations.
He said: “The country must ensure that the foundation at the basic level is well laid before thinking of free SHS if we do not want to destroy the quality of education”.
At Simbrofo, Mr Aidoo-Mensah appealed to parents to send their children to go to school instead of allowing them to engage in illegal, small-scale mining, popularly known as galamsey.
Mr Anthony Eyiah-Quansah, Presiding Member of Gomoa West District Assembly, asked parents to monitor the studies of their children so that they could pass their examinations.
He appealed to children to use the internet to enhance their academic work, instead of using the facility for immoral acts such as watching pornographic materials.
Nana Edu Effirim X, chief of Apam, commended government for contributing to the development of education in the area.
Ms Gladys Obeng, headmistress of the Presbyterian School, appealed to the DCE to facilitate the completion of the six-unit block and provide furniture for the school, to facilitate teaching and learning.