National Crash Programme launched in the U/E

16-06-2010 Narration: The Minister of Education, Alex Tetteh-Enyo, has officially launched a Nationwide Crash Programme at Chiana and Sirigu in the Kassena-Nankana districts of the Upper East Region. The programme aims at ensuring the provision of additional school infrastructure for SHS across the country to augment effective teaching and learning. The Minister as part of the visit took the opportunity to inspect the various on-going projects in deprived Senior High Schools (SHS) in the region. He was accompanied by the Upper East Regional Minister, Mark Woyongo and his Deputy, Mrs. Lucy Awuni as well as officials from the Regional Educational Directorate among other dignitaries. Correspondent Isaac Asare and Afia Afrifa were part of the inspection team and have filed this report for Radio Ghana.
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Report

Mr. Tetteh –Enyo as part of the tour paid a courtesy call on the regent of the Chiana Traditional Area, Pe Innocent Kwaratugu Ayagitam to express his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family of the late chief, Pe Roland Adiali Ayagitam, who died four years ago. Mr. Tetteh-Enyo, in a tribute expressed government’s readiness to continue the good legacies of the late chief by improving upon the educational facilities of the area, which according to him, was the ultimate vision of the late chief and his people. Mr. Tetteh-Enyo also met with students and staff of Chiana SHS, where cut the sod for the commencement of a dormitory facility to accommodate fresh come September, this year. Mr. Tetteh-Enyo in an address said the crash programme instituted by the government would go a long way to addressing areas of special needs in order to achieve equitable development in the educational sector. This, he explained would serve as the requirement for admission into Senior High Schools, come September this year. He catalogued numerous governments interventional policies geared at improving the country’s educational facilities through the provision of furniture, classrooms, dormitories, as well as staff accommodation among others. He said government will not relent in its effort to addressing all bottleneck associated with the current educational system, particularly, the 4-year SHS duration. In view of this, contracts have been awarded to local contractors for the construction of classroom blocks and dormitories for deprived SHS nationwide of which 525 schools would be covered under the ministry’s crash programme. Additionally, 214 schools would also benefit from the first phase of the project. A grand durbar amidst drumming and dancing was held at Sirigu SHS in honour of the sector minister. Mr. Tetteh-Enyo also cut the sod for the construction of a dormitory facility for the school. The Upper East Regional Minister, Mark Woyongo entreated authorities of the school to instill discipline in their students and more importantly, take proper care of the facility when finally completed. The headmaster of the school, Mr. Clement Balor, commended governments for the on-going projects at the school and appealed for an ICT centre, staff accommodation and a library complex and among others to enhance academic performance of the school. Mr. Tetteh-Enyo later inspected construction works in some second cycle institutions in the region including Zoko SHS, Zebilla Senior High Technical School, Bawku SHS, and Garu-Tempane SHS and the Navrongo SHS. Mr. Tetteh Enyo pledged his ministry’s commitment in addressing all the infrastructural challenges facing the schools in the region and the country at large.