A Non-Governmental Organization, Participatory Action for Rural Development Alternatives (PARDA) together with its partner, Children Believe has donated 520 pieces of dual desks to 6 basic schools in the Builsa North Municipal and Kassena-Nankana West District.
The gesture will not only enhance the sitting comfort of the pupils but it will go a long way to improve quality education at the basic school level.
The furniture was provided under the Gift Catalogue and core program funds under the Kassena-Nankana Area Child Development Program (BKACDP) between PARDA and Children Believe (CB) for the FY23 planned activities.
Director of PARDA, Dr. Michael Wombeogo indicated that the donation will be the fifth time his outfit has provided furniture to schools in Builsa North Municipal and Kassena-Nankana West district over the past two years.
He disclosed this at a handing-over ceremony in Chuchuliga in the Builsa North Municipality in the Upper East Region.
The director was confident that the gesture will augment government’s quest to provide quality education for all regardless of location, geared towards achieving goal 4 of the Sustainable Development Goals.
“PARDA believes that providing a comfortable learning environment for children is key to their academic and social advancement and to ensure that no child sits on the floor for academic work, has provided these pieces of dual desks to fulfill that. We all know the importance of good education for children and what it means for nation-building. PARDA frowns on inequality in standards of education, for the very reason that the elite market must be competed for by all Ghanaians regardless of one’s location and point of learning. It is in this consideration that PARDA and Children Believe Ghana has offered to break the odds through the provision of quality teaching and learning for the pupils within the Builsa North Municipality and the Kassena West District.”
Dr. Wombeogo added that PARDA and CB in the past two years have provided 4 early childhood development centers, 1 child welfare centre, 6 boreholes, and a variety of teaching-learning materials to the Builsa North Municipality and the Kassena-West District.
He called on pupils, teachers, and community heads of the beneficiary schools to properly take good care of the furniture so it could last longer.
Dr. Wombeogo was however worried that social vices such as teenage pregnancy, substance abuse, and child abuse in the Upper East Region were in the ascendency. He entreated regional and district directors of education to closely monitor and offer awareness to teenagers to control it.
The 6 basic beneficiary schools include; Yipaala primary school, Namonsa primary school, Awulansa primary school, Chiana primary school, Yidania primary school, and Ayagitam primary.
Monitoring and Evaluation Officer of Children Believe, Pascal Gyireh said CB as a child-focused NGO is committed to supporting government, PARDA, communities, and schools to ensure access to quality, inclusive basic education for all children in the country is achieved.
“The provision of the 520 dual desks is done to ensure that children in rural or deprived communities also receive quality education services. I am hopeful that the new furniture will provide a safer and decent environment in the classrooms and help contribute to the broader delivery of quality education in the selected schools largely in the two municipalities”, he stated.
While underscoring the importance of education to nations’ development, Mr. Gyireh lauded government for making senior high education accessible and affordable.
The M&E Officer at CB admonished parents to avail themselves actively in school governance as well as create an enabling environment for children to study.
Gerald Ataogye, District Chief Executive for the Kassena-Nankana West who received the dual desks on behalf of the schools, thanked PARDA and CB for complimenting government’s effort at providing access and quality education for all.
“Investing in the education of our future leaders is the way to go. No nation or country can develop without education. I am so thrilled, PARDA and Children Believe are supporting government in this direction.”
He said the government is working tirelessly to provide infrastructure and teaching and learning materials for smooth academic activities.
Mr. Ataogye reiterated the need for the school authorities to properly take good care of the dual desk to meet the purpose for which they were donated.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Joshua Asaah|Chuchuliga
