Tamale, Nov. 9, GNA - District Directors of Education from 14 districts in the Northern Region have committed themselves to improving the falling standard of education in their areas but complained about insufficient and unreliable funds to carry out annual plans.

They said every year they had plans that could improve education in deprived areas but lack of funds prevented the plans from being implemented. The directors said this in Tamale at the weekend when Campaign for Female Education (CAMFED) met them to review its programmes in those 14 districts where it operates to improve education. The review meeting, which was also attended by fourteen Girl Child Officers and 14 accountants in those 14 areas, was aimed at sharing understanding of CAMFED's programmes and implementation strategies. It was also to assess expectations and challenges in order to strengthen partnership and examine key education priorities to ensure collective efforts towards their achievements.

The education directors appealed to the government and other development agencies to increase funding timely. The Executive Director of CAMFED, Mrs. Doleres Dickson, said the organization wasinterested in committing 90 percent of its funding directly to students to realize their dreams and 10 percent was for administrative purposes.

She raised concerns about female teacher deployment and how it possesses challenges to quality education due to the fact that girls in derived areas lack role models and puts them at the risk of sexual abuses. Mrs. Dickson said CAMFED was receiving funding from Big Lottery Fund of UK to improve the psycho-social environment of schools through Safer School Fund in its operational areas and schools were expected to forward their needs in these areas for support.

She said the facility would improve the physical environment of schools by providing basic infrastructure such as poly tanks, washing basins, tables and chairs and support extra-curricular activities such as quizzes and debates for students.

It also improves the quality of teaching and learning by providing textbooks, teaching aids, exercise books and to improve parents participation in schools activities. Mrs Dickson said 36,000 children had benefited from CAMFED's programmes, 102 female teachers had been trained, 4,000 girls would be supported with bursary and 4,609 children had been supported. 09 Nov 09