Methodists to contribute towards education fund

Wamfie (B/A) Dec. 10, GNA - As from next year every adult in the Methodist Church in the country would be expected to contribute 2000 cedis nnually towards an education endowment fund for the upkeep of the Church's schools.

The fund, when established, would among other things help to provide in-service training for both trained and untrained teachers in schools belonging to the Church. The Right Reverend James Baffour Awuah, Methodist Bishop for the Sunyani Diocese announced this when he addressed the second speech and prize giving day of Freeman Methodist Preparatory School at Wamfie in Dormaa District of Brong Ahafo.

Bishop Awuah said the Church in its bid to further enhance its image as one of the fore-bearers in the provision of formal education in Ghana would soon embark on programmes aimed at raising the level of discipline in its basic and second cycle institutions. He however, noted that the smooth attainment of any feat would remain a mirage if teachers were not motivated to ensure satisfactory implementation of policies in schools.

Bishop Awuah appealed to parents to divert their huge expenses on funerals, weddings and parties to the provision of quality education for their children.

He called on relevant government and non-governmental agencies to speak against the increasing inflow of foreign culture into the country, "which has deceived the teeming youth to lose their natural bearing". The Bishop noted that 170 years of Methodism in Ghana would not exert any desirable impact if membership of the church should allow themselves to be swayed by ungodly ambitions.

A retired teacher and head teacher of the school, Mr. Moses Ansu Adomako announced that the school that began in 1989 with seven pupils and one teacher now has 347 pupils and 16 teachers.

He said girls education remained one of the targets of the school hence the current girls population of 175 as against 172 boys. An Assistant Director of Education in charge of Supervision at the Dormaa District Education Office, Mr. James Asante Boateng, reminded sole proprietors of private institutions that it was wrong to put expect Parent Teacher Associations to run their schools for them.