Ghana takes steps to reduce illiteracy rate of 43.4 per cent

Tinkong (E/R), Oct. 5, GNA - The Akuapem North District Chief Executive, Mr George Opare-Addo, has said the 43.4 per cent illiteracy rate in the country showed that a lot of Ghanaians were missing the benefits of education.

He said it was for that reason that the government was determined to make education accessible and affordable to every child through expansion and improvement in education infrastructure and service delivery. Mr Opare-Addo was speaking at the inauguration of GHC 145,000 six-classroom block for the Tinkong District Assembly Primary School with a= n office, store and head teacher's office. He said since the National Democratic Congress government came to power= , the District Assembly had built 40 classroom blockss. Fifteen of the projects had been funded by the GETFund and over 7,000 classroom furniture had also been provided for the schools, 6,000 of which were funded by the GETFund and the rest by the Assembly. He said schools in the district had also benefitted from free government exercise books and the supply of school uniforms to needy pupils= .. Mr Opare-Addo said 4,158 children were benefitting from the Schools Feeding Programme and additional 1,500 are being brought on board. He said the assembly would ensure the extension of electricity to as many schools as possible in the district. Mr Opare-Addo expressed regret that some schools in the district scored zero per cent at the Basic Education Certificate Examination and called for the involvement of communities in supervision of schools. He presented the first batch of 15 computers to Okorase Methodist Junio= r High School under the laptop for each child programme.