Second Lady Calls For Quality Teaching In Rural Areas

 From Edmund Mingle, Bobikuma.

The Second Lady being welcomed  to Bobikuma

The Second Lady Mrs. Matilda Amissah-Arthur has asked teachers, especially
in the rural areas not to allow the quest for best conditions of service to
take the better part of them.

Rather she urged them to provide quality teaching for children in the rural
areas to perform creditably, as the government works to enhance their
remuneration.
The Second Lady made the call when she opened an ICT Centre for Lower Bobikuma in the Agona West Municipal area of the Central region on Thursday.

She bemoaned the poor academic performance of children in the rural areas,
and encouraged teachers to help reverse the trend.

Mrs Amissah-Arthuer being assisted
by Nana Kofi Yeboah (second left) and
Samuel Sarpong (third right) to cut the
tape to open the Centre

According to her, although children in the rural zones were disadvantaged with access to education facilities, evidence showed that they could compete academically with those in the urban areas when offered quality teaching.

She also urged all stakeholders including district directorates of education and community leaders to monitor the academic performance in basic schools towards improving output of both teachers and pupils.

The newly opened ICT Centre for Bobikuma

In addition, she gave the assurance that the government would play its part by providing the necessary facilities to enhance teaching and learning, adding that the ICT Centre was indicative of government's commitment in that regard.

Touching on the relevance of the centre, she was optimistic that the
facility would enable children in the area to acquire the necessary IT skills to
advance their knowledge to effectively participate in the global village.

Mrs. Amissah-Arthur therefore, admonished the education authorities to properly maintain the facility to serve its purpose.

The Centre, which consists of an IT section, a library and a teachers’ research unit, was built by the Agona West Municipal Assembly at the cost of GHc 123,480 with funding from the World Bank, while the computers, furniture and library books were provided by the Second Lady.

The Second Lady interacting with pupils working
on the computers at the Centre.

She secured the computers from the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communication (GIFTEC) and personally funded the furnishing and stuffing of the library with the books.

Nana Kofi Yeboah VIII, chief of Agona Bobikuma, in his remarks thanked the Second Lady for the support in helping to improve the level of education in the area.

He described the establishment of the centre as the realization of dream by the traditional leaders, saying the speed in which the Second Lady and Municipal Assembly responded to their request for the centre was commendable.

The chief however, noted that more needs remained to be addressed, citing the need for the provision of tarred roads, potable water and extension of electricity coverage to parts of the area.

The Second Lady addressing the durbar of
 chiefs and people of Bobikuma

Samuel Sarpong, Central Regional Minister, addressing durbar, asked community to own the project, and also charged the school authorities to properly maintain the facility in order to derive the desired benefits.
End