By
Yussif Ibrahim, GNA
Obogu (Ash), Sept. 18, GNA – Mr Simon Osei
Mensah, the Ashanti Regional Minister, on Monday spent some time with children
attending school for the first time to mark this year’s edition of My First Day
at School.
He visited six schools at Juaso, Obogu and
Bompata where he interacted with the children and encouraged them to make the
school their second home, as they grow to become responsible citizens.
The Minister was accompanied by the Member of
Parliament, Mr Kwaku Asante Boateng, the Municipal Chief Executive, Mr
Alexander Frimpong, the Municipal Director of Education, Madam Evelyn Karina
Denewoe and the Municipal Coordinating Director, Mrs Louisa Benon.
The children were provided with school bags,
exercise books, crayons and biscuits.
Mr Osei Mensah said he was impressed with the
attendance in the various schools visited and implored the teachers to handle
the children with love and compassion.
He said they should treat them as their own
and make the school environment attractive for the children to arouse their
interest to attend school regularly.
He reminded them that the children are the
future leaders, adding that any impact they make on their lives will remain a
cherished and everlasting memory.
The Regional Minister urged the Municipal
Education Directorate to strengthen its supervision and monitoring mechanisms
to bring the best out of the teachers.
He said government’s commitment to making
basic and second cycle education free and accessible remained a key priority
and called on other stakeholders to join hands with government to transform the
education sector.
Mr Alexander Frimpong, the MCE, said the
Assembly was building new classroom blocks across the Municipality to address
the infrastructure deficit.
He disclosed that the Assembly was also taking
steps to improve on its maintenance culture by renovating at least two
classroom blocks every quarter.
Mr Kwaku Asante Boateng, the MP, said about
eight kindergarten buildings were at various stages of completion to improve
access at the early childhood education level.
He said early childhood education was the
foundation of the education sector, hence he would continue to team up with the
MCE to address the shortfalls in infrastructure at that level.
GNA