Inadequate classrooms at Gyankobaa

Gyankobaa-Ashanti, May 30, GNA - Inadequate classrooms to accommodate a large number of pupils admitted into Gyankobaa Catholic Primary School near Toase this year, is impeding effective teaching and learning.

The enrolment figure in the kindergarten class one, has increased from 55 in the first term this year to 98 in the third term while children in the final stage of kindergarten also increased from 45 in the first term to 86 in the third term as a result of the Government's Capitation grant introduced this year. Pupils in the primary school are overcrowded in the classrooms with only a teacher supervising them making teaching and learning virtually impossible.

Teachers in the school expressed these concerns when Mr Eddy Obeng-Darko, Atwima-Nwabiagya District Director of Education paid a surprised visit to the area on Monday.

They complained about the unavailability of Ghanaian language, religious and moral education textbooks as well as place of convenience in the school.

The teachers also expressed concern about the attitude of some parents who take away their children from the school and send them to the farm while classes were in session. Residents in the area are mainly farmers engaged in large-scale production of ginger.

Mr Obeng-Darko asked the teachers to judiciously use the limited facilities at their disposal to improve academic output and gave the assurance that their concerns would be addressed. He charged them to put up the right attitude and apply the appropriate methods and techniques to enhance teaching and learning. Mr Obeng-Darko cautioned them against laziness, absenteeism and lateness to school.

Baffour Asare-Bediako, an Assistant Director of Education in-charge of Human Resource Management and Development, said the Directorate had drawn up a programme to intensify monitoring and supervision of teachers and also create community awareness on their roles and responsibilities towards education development.