Voice in community empowerment has presented its survey report on educational infrastructure challenges in east and north Ayawaso Sub-metros to the Regional manager of Ghana education service.
The report indicated that there are 23 public (government-run) schools in the study area, including 17 primary and 14 junior high programs3, respectively.
The report, which was jointly produced with their partners at Columbia University USA , Millennium Cites Initiative explained that the Accra Metropolitan Education Directorate is administratively responsible for all of these schools, including a few established by religious organizations.
Seven of the primary schools comprise grades K-6, with the remaining seven running from 1st – 6th grades.
The 14 junior high school programs cover 7th – 9th grades, but one school, lacking the requisite number of classrooms, offers only seventh grade.
All of the schools, according to the report, provide regular formal education approved by the Ministry of Education; two religious schools offer a combined curriculum that includes Arabic/Islamic studies as well as the formal, Ministry-approved curriculum.
The schools in the study area provide education for both boys and girls.
Mr. Ahmed M. Yaajalaal, Board Chairman of VOiCE during the presentation said VOiCE specifically choose to target education infrastructure because improvement in the quality of infrastructure usually yield improvement in enrolment, completion rates and improve learning outcomes as well as; reducing teacher absenteeism.
Mr. Yaajalaal said VOICE intends to identify the challenges facing the schools in the community, make a clear case to government, NGOs, civil society and parent-teacher groups and donor agencies regarding the need to internes and help the community solve the multiple challenges facing the school.
Given the deplorable condition of the schools in urban poor communities, including the study area, VOiCE respectfully calls on the government to improve the culture of maintenance and renovation.
“We plead with the Accra Metropolitan Assembly to consider redirecting some of the funds reserved for the construction of new schools toward maintaining some of the older, less safe and improperly outfitted schools, such as Islamic Training Institute, Kanda Cluster of Schools and Unity Compound,” he intimated.
Mr. Mubarak Issaka Shaibu, the Head of Inspection Division of the Unit, receiving the report on behalf of the Regional manager of Islamic education unit appreciates the good work that voice did to produce the report.
He said the unit will collaborate with VOICE to create awareness and interest in the report to see how to intervene in uplifting the infrastructure of the schools in the school in the study area.
By Abubakari Seidu Ajarfor, [email protected]
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