Saltpond, (C/R) June 28, GNA - The authorities of the Ekumfi T.I. Ahmadiyya Senior High School at Essarkyir in the Mfantseman Municipality have converted some classrooms into dormitories because of insufficient dormitory facilities.

Some students of the school told officials of the Municipal assembly at a durbar with school children at Saltpond.

The children, selected from schools supported by Plan Ghana, a child centred Community Development Organisation, used the encounter to find out about plans the Assembly had towards improving their welfare. The children urged the Assembly to take up the accommodation problem at the Ekumfi Ahmadiyya Senior High School as a matter of urgency as admission of new students in September would aggravate the situation. Most of the children expressed concern about the deficiencies in the teaching of the Information Communication technology (ICT) in rural communities.

They said though ICT had been made an examinable subject at the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) most students in rural schools did not know what a computer looked like. According to them, a class of the privileged and the under-privileged were being created so immediate steps must be taken to address the disparities in the provision of facilities to the rural and urban schools. The Chief Executive of Saltpond, Mr Henry Kweku Hayfron, discussed a number of programmes the Assembly had initiated for children with them, which include the expansion of school infrastructure, provision of books and uniforms and the provision of water and electricity for children to have light for studies.

The MCE, however, urged the children to bear with the Assembly as its resources were limited so had to address the problems confronting them gradually. Ms Vivian Etroo, Municipal Director of Education, urged heads of basic schools to use their share of the Capitation Grant to buy computers for their schools and to extend electricity to the classrooms. She urged them not to allow churches to use classrooms for services and other activities for free of charge.

Mr Sulemana Gbana, Mankessim Programme Area Manager of Plan Ghana, said the encounter with the Chief Executive was a follow up to the celebration of the African Union Day of the African Child, on June 16, which was on the theme: "Budgeting for Children's Rights". Mr Gbana said Plan Ghana was creating conditions for children to discuss issues in their various communities which affect their well being. "We want to teach children how to fish but not to provide them with fish," he stated.