Ministry of education to complete on-going projects

Accra, Nov. 14, GNA- The Ghana Education Service is currently undertaking over 350 projects throughout the country, at various stages of completion and it is its policy to complete a greater number of them before new ones are tackled.

Some of the projects were awarded between 1980 and 1990 and most of them have not been completed due to inadequate funding.

Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Minister of Education, Youth and Sports said this on Friday in Parliament when Mrs Agnes Sonful, NPP- Amenfi West on behalf of Mrs Gifty Eugenia Kusi, NPP-Tarkwa Nsuaem asked what plans the ministry has for providing a hostel for Benso Secondary School.

The Minister said the hostel for the Benso Secondary School would be considered when funds become available.

Mr Kofi Attor, NDC-Ho Central asked if there was a particular programme to provide hostel facilities for especially community schools and the Minister said the option is worth considering in view of the accommodation problems faced by students from rural areas.

Mr Kenneth Dzirasah, NDC-South Tongu suggested the completion of on-going projects before undertaking new ones and the Minister said that was the new policy and on-going projects would have to be completed.

In a related development, Mr Reginald Ayi-Bonte, NPP-Odododiodioo asked what plans the ministry has to fence the whole of Accra Academy so as to secure the school land against encroachment and misuse by criminals.

Mr Baah-Wiredu said works on the project is currently 55 per cent complete and about 87,2 million cedis has been spent to construct drainage systems that are the major problem facing the project.

Alhaji Abukari Sumani, NDC- Choggu/Tishigu asked whether the ministry has any plans to fence all school lands and the Minister said all school projects are important but the ministry has to set its priorities right since the cost of such projects were very high.

Mr John Mahama, NDC-Bole said while waiting for the construction of the fence what interim measures are being considered and the Minister said the solution lies in the acquisition of proper titles to lands acquired for school projects since in the past there were no pressures on such lands. Mr Isaac Adjei-Mensah, NDC-Techiman North asked whether the Minister is aware that compensation have not been paid for most of the lands acquired for the schools and the Minister said there was the need to rectify such anomalies.