Gov't spends over 500 billion cedis on 31 selected SSS

Konongo (Ash), April 25, GNA - More than 500 billion cedis is being spent by the government on the first batch of 31 Senior Secondary Schools (SSS) selected for upgrading into model schools, Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, has said. The funding, he said, was coming from the HIPC fund.

Mr Baah-Wiredu said while inspecting a number of projects provided under the programme at for the Konongo-Odumase Secondary School (KOSS), one of the beneficiary institutions at the weekend.

The projects included three masters' bungalows, an assembly hall and a block of six flats for masters, library, computer laboratory, a two-storey girls' dormitory and the renovation of some existing structures.

The Minister said the vision of the government was to promote increased access to education by making sure that the necessary teaching and learning materials as well as adequate infrastructure were put in place.

He said he was satisfied from his visits to all 31 schools that the programme was on course.

Mr Baah-Wiredu called on the District Education Oversight Committees to step up their supervisory role so as to enhance the effective management of schools.

The Headmaster of KOSS, Mr Akwasi Amoako Amo-Antwi, noted that the successful completion of the projects could tremendously raise the performance of the school.

Mr Baah-Wiredu, who is the Member of Parliament (MP) for Asante-Akim North, also inspected on-going works under phase one of the World Bank sponsored Urban Five Project at Odumase. The main activities being undertaken are the improvement of the drainage and tarring of about 1.5-kilometre of the Odumase and Konongo town roads.

About 90 percent of the drains had been completed.