World Bank supports education sector project

Tamale, April 26, GNA- The World Bank and the government have provided 88 million dollars to support the Education Sector Project (ESP) to enhance quality education, Mr. Chikpah Demuyakor, Northern Regional Director of Education announced in Tamale on Saturday. He said out of the amount, the government had contributed 10 million dollars while the World Bank provided 78 million dollars towards the five-year project, which would benefit 40 selected districts throughout the country.

The project is aimed at building the capacity of teachers to enhance their performance in schools.

Mr. Demuyakor was speaking at the end of a five-day in-service training organized for 65 basic school teachers in science, mathematics and English language under the EP Church Education Unit in the Tamale Metropolis.

He said 12 of the selected districts were in the Northern Region and urged teachers to take advantage of the project to upgrade their skills.

The Regional Director said similar arrangements had been established between the government the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for a sustainable training of teachers in mathematics and science.

He said 543 teachers in the region had so far benefited from the programme.

Mr. Demuyakor urged teachers to demystify the teaching of mathematics and science for their students to develop interest in them. He noted: "It is an insult and indictment of a teacher for his or her student to be afraid of mathematics and science", saying: "If students cheat in these subjects to pass their examinations it is not the students who cheated but their teachers."

He advised teachers to do their job well in the classroom to give confidence to students to write their examinations, especially science and mathematics since they form the integral part of any nation's development.

He said his administration would not spare teachers whose attitude imparted negatively on students or discourage parents from sending their children to school.

Mr. J.Y. Madugu, Regional Director of EP Church Education Unit said last year's Basic Education Examination results from schools under the unit were very poor.

He said the best aggregate was 13 and urged teachers to pay more attention to the teaching of mathematics, science and English language to for more students to qualify for the Senior Secondary Schools (SSS).

Mr. Madugu said it was disheartening to see school children at market places trading just after they had closed from school. He therefore advised parents to monitor the activities of their children at home to ensure that they do not go wayward.