Category: Education

Mr Emmanuel Gemegah, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Keta in the Volta Region, has supported the Anlo-Afiadenyigba Senior High Secondary School (Afiasec) by donating some items to the school. The items worth thousands of cedis included 100 dual desks and two 5,000-litre poly tanks. Mr Gemegah in an interview with the Ghana News Agency after the donation, said the support was to help mitigate the challenges in the areas of furniture and inadequate water supply. 'On behalf of the Keta Municipal Assembly and my behalf, we are donating these items today to help mitigate some challenges the students and staff are going through,' he said. He said the donation was funded from the Municipal Assembly's Internally Generated Fund after the school requested them. Mr Gemegah said the idea was to gradually solve the numerous challenges in the educational sector. He revealed that the provision of the two poly tanks was done in collaboration with Mr Kwame Dzudzorli Gakpe, the Member of Parliament for the area. 'Student population in our schools keep increasing, especially with the admission of the first-year students, and we know they are in dire need.' Mr Gemegah also appealed to other schools facing similar challenges to keep calm. Mr Leonard Nyatsoe, Headmaster of Anlo-Afiadenyigba Senior High School, who received the items on behalf of management and students, thanked the donors for the kind gesture and pledged the items would be used for the intended purpose. Mr Nyatsoe also appealed to individuals, old students, philanthropists, corporate entities, and the Government to help solve the other challenges of the school. Source: Ghana News Agency

Some 99 Spelling Bee finalists are set to show their prowess Saturday February 03, in a nerve-wracking contest for national glory. The young spellers will display resilience, tenacity, exceptional word knowledge and exhibition of language excellence and linguistic diversity. From the preliminary stages in March 2023, the programme has seen an overwhelming response, with over 300 young persons diving into the world of words through months of rigorous grooming, training, coaching, and assessments. In a statement, Organisers of the event said this year's national finalists come from various cities, including Accra, Tema, Kumasi, Takoradi, Sunyani, Peduase, Obuasi, and Tamale. It said two Ghanaian spellers now domiciled in the UK and Canada would join the competition for the first time, adding an international dimension to the event. Spelling Bee Ghana has embraced the concept of 'returning spellers' - allowing participants from previous years to make a triumphant comeback. Notably, N'Adom Darko-Asare, the first speller since the programme's inception in 2008, will achieve this remarkable feat, embodying the spirit of perseverance and love for the competition. The inclusion policy of the Spelling Bee Ghana also provides opportunities for the participation of 10 deaf students from Tetteh Ocloo State School for the Deaf. 'The stakes are high, with the winner set to receive a prize package worth $10,000-plus, including an all-expense-paid trip to the Scripps Spelling Bee in the USA, to represent Ghana as the only African country in the programme,' the statement said. Ms. Eugenia Tachie-Menson, Country Director, Young Educators Foundation, organisers of The Spelling Bee - GH, said: 'We are thrilled to witness the culmination of months of hard work and dedication from our spellers.' 'The Spelling Bee - Ghana 2024 is not just a competition, it's celebration of language, diversity, and academic excellence. We extend our gratitude to our partners and sponsors for their unwavering support, without which this event w ouldn't be possible,' she said. The Spelling Bee - Ghana is a premier national spelling competition aimed at promoting literacy, vocabulary, and a love for language among Ghanaian youth. Since its inception in 2008, the programme has become a platform for young spellers to showcase their linguistic talents on a national and international stage. Source: Ghana News Agency

Madam Abla Dzifa Gomashie, the Member of Parliament for Ketu South, and Pencils of Promise (PoP), a non-profit organsation, has cut the sod for construction of a two-unit kindergarten (KG) block for the Yame-Lente Basic School. The construction work, to commence in February, is expected to be completed in about three months to replace the dilapidated block currently accommodating the 60 young learners. Mr Freeman Gobah, the Country Director of PoP, speaking at the sod-cutting ceremony, said the organisation, which operated in the Volta, Eastern and Oti regions, would bear 80 per cent of the cost, while the community bore 20 per cent. He asked for collaboration from community members for early completion of the project to provide a conducive environment for the young learners. The organisation, he noted, was committed to improving quality education in less privileged schools and communities. Madam Gomashie, for her part, said she would provide trips of sand and gravel as part of the community's 20 per ce nt contribution to the project. She appealed to the community members to willingly come out in their numbers to provide labour to ensure the work was completed on schedule. That would provide a conducive environment for teaching and learning, she said, adding: 'My passion is the human capital development of my constituents.' 'Let's be concerned about the education of our children. Education is an enabler. It breaks barriers.' 'They may not have jobs after graduation but what they might have acquired cannot be taken away from them. Knowledge is enough to build our society.' Torgbui Atikpa III, the Chief of Yame, assured the gathering that his people would readily provide the labour while he would ensure the provision of water at the site. 'And for stealing of construction materials, be assured that it would not happen here. Security will be tight and anybody who tries will regret it,' he said. Mr Ephraim Kassegni, the Head teacher of the school, expressed gratitude for the support as it would be a great relief to the pupils and impact on enrolment. 'We used to hold the KG classes under trees but later through the Parent-Teacher Association and the School Management Council, we got this structure, which is in a bad state now,' he said. 'During rainy seasons, classes cannot hold. The KG pupils were 84, but now, 54. Currently, we have a combined KG class occupying the primary one classroom while a combined class of primary one and two use the classroom meant for primary two.' Mr Amenorvi Ahiafor, a resident, expressed willingness to support the work when construction starts. 'I'll come here to help before going out for my menial job because that will be my own'. Source: Ghana News Agency

ONAUSHE: The Action Based Organisation on Tuesday handed over school uniforms worth over N.dollars 10 000 to learners of Onaushe Combined School in the Oshana Region. The school is located about 70 kilometres west of Oshakati and has a learner population of over 300, with 40 per cent of the learners being from marginalised communities. According to Zackary Itodo, the organisation's initiator, the Agra Staff Initiative Fund (ASIF) availed school uniforms and shoes upon his request for assistance towards the school. 'The donation comes in the form of assisting learners who are in need of school uniforms but due to financial constraints, their parents are unable to afford a proper uniforms,' he stated. He added that the mission is to ensure that all children, regardless of background, can have proper uniforms and feel a sense of belonging within their schools. Itodo further indicated that their goal is to reach more learners as a uniform represents a school's identity, tradition and values. The school's pr incipal, Gabhard Amunyela, stated that the donation will make a difference in the lives of their learners and hopefully boost their morale in school. 'Many of the parents are struggling to buy proper school uniforms,' he said, thanking the organisation for the donation as such initiatives go a long way to empowering the Namibian child. Source: The Namibia Press Agency

Madam Abla Dzifa Gomashie, the Member of Parliament for Ketu South, and Pencils of Promise (PoP), a non-profit organsation, has cut the sod for construction of a two-unit kindergarten (KG) block for the Yame-Lente Basic School. The construction work, to commence in February, is expected to be completed in about three months to replace the dilapidated block currently accommodating the 60 young learners. Mr Freeman Gobah, the Country Director of PoP, speaking at the sod-cutting ceremony, said the organisation, which operated in the Volta, Eastern and Oti regions, would bear 80 per cent of the cost, while the community bore 20 per cent. He asked for collaboration from community members for early completion of the project to provide a conducive environment for the young learners. The organisation, he noted, was committed to improving quality education in less privileged schools and communities. Madam Gomashie, for her part, said she would provide trips of sand and gravel as part of the community's 20 per ce nt contribution to the project. She appealed to the community members to willingly come out in their numbers to provide labour to ensure the work was completed on schedule. That would provide a conducive environment for teaching and learning, she said, adding: 'My passion is the human capital development of my constituents.' 'Let's be concerned about the education of our children. Education is an enabler. It breaks barriers.' 'They may not have jobs after graduation but what they might have acquired cannot be taken away from them. Knowledge is enough to build our society.' Torgbui Atikpa III, the Chief of Yame, assured the gathering that his people would readily provide the labour while he would ensure the provision of water at the site. 'And for stealing of construction materials, be assured that it would not happen here. Security will be tight and anybody who tries will regret it,' he said. Mr Ephraim Kassegni, the Head teacher of the school, expressed gratitude for the support as it would be a great relief to the pupils and impact on enrolment. 'We used to hold the KG classes under trees but later through the Parent-Teacher Association and the School Management Council, we got this structure, which is in a bad state now,' he said. 'During rainy seasons, classes cannot hold. The KG pupils were 84, but now, 54. Currently, we have a combined KG class occupying the primary one classroom while a combined class of primary one and two use the classroom meant for primary two.' Mr Amenorvi Ahiafor, a resident, expressed willingness to support the work when construction starts. 'I'll come here to help before going out for my menial job because that will be my own'. Source: Ghana News Agency ONAUSHE: The Head of the Namibian Police Force's Oshana Community Policing Sub-division, Inspector Thomas Aiyambo, has advised parents to ensure that their children sleep in separate rooms to avoid possible rape incidents from occurring. Aiyambo was speaking during a 'Be Safe' campaign held at the Onaushe Combined School on Tuesday, where he addressed learners on how to stay safe. He said there have been allegations of children being raped by their siblings and in some of these cases, girls have been impregnated, hence the advice for them not to share bedrooms once they reach a certain age. 'These situations remain unreported, which is incorrect. Such reports ought to be reported to the headmen and/or teachers, as well as the police, who will conduct an inquiry,' he said. Aiyambo also urged learners to walk to and from school in groups to avoid sexual assault and said if they are attacked, they should seek help. This comes after two recent incidents of rape were reported in the region involving learners. The first incident was reported at the Etambo dumping site on 16 January 2024, where an 11-year-old girl headed to school was raped by an unknown suspect. In the second incident, Aiyambo indicated that a 10-year-old girl was allegedly raped behind Oshana Mall by an unknown suspect on 18 January 2024, while coming from school. Source: The Namibia Press Agency