Towards Girl Child Education:PTA/SMC Executives Of Damongo Model Girl's Pays A Call To DCE Of West Gonja

Towards Girl Child Education:PTA/SMC Executives Of Damongo Model Girl's  Pays A Call To DCE Of West Gonja

By ANANPANSAH,B ABRAHAM(AB)

The Parent-Teacher Association/Organization (PTA/PTO)/School Management Committee(SMC) executives of Damongo Model Girl's Junior High School in the West Gonja District of the Northern Region of Ghana paid a call to the District Chief Executive(DCE) of West Gonja District,Hon.Muazu Jibreal in his office today,Wednesday August 2,2017.

Led by the chairman of the SMC,Mr.Berimbo Claudia,a retired educationist,the visit was to discuss pressing issues of the infant school with the DCE.Key among them was to enquire about the progress of work on the uncompleted school building.An issue which has been a major concern to the parents,teachers and students alike since the 2017/2018 academic year was due anytime soon.

In a comprehensive yet succinct response to the concern,the DCE admitted he was in the know about the school and the state of the school structure,since the immediate outgone director of GES in the district briefed him on the situation of the school.

He expressed committed efforts at getting the school building completed before the end of the year.This he disclosed would include accommodation facilities for the teachers for a start.And as and when funds become available,accommodation for the pupil's will be inculcated as per the original plan of the school.

The DCE disclosed that the school was among the uppermost priority of his administration.And that he was passionate about promoting girl child education in the district.
To this end,he has marked the uncompleted school building and teachers accommodation as  major projects to be carried out by the end of the year.And that these projects were duly factored into the annual plans for the district to be funded from either the District Assembly Common Fund(DACF) due to hit the accounts of the District Assembly next month hopefully or the $1m per constituency initiative of government.

He however,wondered why such an important project was not budgeted for under GETFUND but DACF;since GETFUND was more regular than the DACF.

Mr.Wilson,the Circuit Supervisor(CS) of the jurisdiction of the school and his colleague Mr.Asumah(CS) both SMC members of the school, reiterated the need to speed up work on the school building.

A teacher of the school who doubles as the PTA/SMC secretary,one Mr.Ananpansah,B Abraham disclosed to the DCE the school was currently challenged in getting a suitable classroom for the much expected form one's.The school according to him,was expecting 35 qualified pupil's as form one's next academic year but has no assured classroom to house the number as the situation currently stands.He therefore appealed to the DCE to as a matter of urgency work within his power to get the school building completed within stipulated time to save the situation.He further disclosed that the situation apart from holding back the process of teaching and learning,was also making it difficult to maintain adequate discipline among the students.A task he described as daunting since the pupil's didn't have the benefit of their own environment for proper monitoring,and stringent enforcement of rules.

The DCE in a plain language doubted if the school building could be completed before the beginning of next academic year.He however,suggested the need for the school authorities to liaise with GES to get a temporal structure to serve the purpose of the time whilst he works to get things done before the end of the year.

Damongo model Girl's Junior High School is a newly established girl's school under the initiative of EBIS-Ghana (now OXFAM),an NGO.The initiative is being implemented by District Assemblies across Northern Ghana.The school currently has a total enrolment of 32 girl's.35 girl's are expected as per the admission records for the 2017/2018 academic year.It has currently,four permanent and one non permanent teaching staff.Pending the completion of the school building,the school currently hold classroom sessions/lessons in a single classroom block at Yabum J.H.S.The idea is for the school to develop into a girl's science school in the near future.

By ANANPANSAH,B ABRAHAM (AB)
(Staff/PTA/SMC Secretary/Blogger/Writer/Freelance Journalist)
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