Government is committed to improving education in the country

Tuobodom (B/A), Dec. 2, GNA- The Brong Ahafo Regional Director of Education, Mrs. Akua Debrah has said, the government intends making available special funds to schools in deprived communities towards the provision of infrastructure for students.

Mrs Debrah said this would encourage those schools to compete favourably with the "big schools" since it has been established that some students in the deprived schools perform well.

She was speaking on the theme " Quality Education, A Task For All" at the First open day celebration of Tuobodom Secondary Technical School at Techiman.

The Regional Director noted that quality education is very expensive and that is why all stakeholders must contribute their quota to help government achieve its aim of making education affordable to all.

Mrs Debrah encouraged the students to discard the idea that, only students of the "Big Schools" could make it and said with a little effort, they could also make the best out of a bad situation. She called on traditional rulers, the Municipal Assembly, Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs) and parents to help find solutions to problems that confront the school.

Mr Charles Abeteva Assistant Headmaster of the school in a welcoming address said the occasion, the first since the establishment of the school was to afford the institution the opportunity to tell the public of their academic achievements.

Mr Abeteva also indicated that, the celebration was to bring to the fore problems the school faces for public support in finding solutions to them.

Master Raphael Apo-Eta (rpt) Apo-Eta, the school prefect said cordial relationship exist between staff and students and said this had helped the students in their academic work.

He appealed to the government for a school bus to replace the old one which is not road worthy.

Headmaster of the School, Mr Peter Hayford Appiah, said, the school was established in march 1991 as a community secondary school by the chiefs and the efforts of Mr. James Kwaku Ussher, the then Municipal Director of Education with 45 students.

Mr Hayford Appiah said the school was absorbed into the public system in 1993 and presently has population of 365 students with eighteen permanent teachers and twenty-three non-teaching staff. He said about 680 students have passed out from the schools since its establishment and most of them are pursuing various courses in tertiary institutions while some are employed in public corporations and departments.

Mr Appiah commended the government for the supply of textbooks and payment of absorbed fees and suggested that the HPIC benefit be extended to the deprived secondary schools.

The Chairman for the occasion Nana Apenteng Fosu Gyeabour, Baamuhene of the Techiman Traditional Area who deputised for the Omanhene , Oseadeayo Akumfi-Ameyaw VII, appealed to women to reduce their expenses on clothing and funerals to make more funds available to their wards.