NKRANFO-NKWANTA ELECTORAL AREA NEEDS TEACHERS (PAGE 11)

Story: Collins Agyekum-Gyasi, Obuasi

THE Assembly member for Nkranfo-Nkwanta Electoral Area, in the Adansi South District of the Ashanti Region, Mr Thomas Attafuah, has appealed to the district assembly and the Adansi South District Education Directorate to assign teachers to the area.
He said even though the Ghana Education Service (GES) had assigned three teachers and a head teacher to the area, the number was woefully inadequate.
Mr Attafuah, who made the appeal at an assembly meeting at New Edubiase, said because of the lack of teachers in the electoral area, only 35 students wrote last year’s Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in the area.
He said by the end of the 2007 academic year, the communities had employed 10 teachers for both primary and junior high schools, and were paying them GH¢ 20 each and providing them free accommodation.
Mr Attafuah regretted that five of the teachers suddenly left, complaining that the money was insufficient.
“We are, therefore, appealing to the assembly to assist us in paying their salaries, so that it will entice them to stay at post and teach,” Mr Attafuah said.
The District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Francis Dorpenyoh, expressed grave concern about such distressed issues in the district, and noted that only two schools were captured under the School Feeding Programme in the district.
The GH¢ 30 per pupil per day puts too much stress on the matrons, he stated.
Mr Dorpenyoh, however, appealed to the government to increase the number of schools captured in the School Feeding Programme and increase the grant to reflect the cost of living.
He said the district administration had been paying the allowances of the matrons, since January 2007.
Additionally, he said the assembly was supporting the beneficiary communities to put up kitchens and dining rooms.