Kuntanase, June 7, GNA - A GH¢60,000 cedi block for Saint George's Girls Vocational Institute at Kuntanase in the Bosomtwe District of Ashanti was inaugurated on Friday. It would serve as practical departments for cookery and sewing programmes of the institute.

The institute offers training in hairdressing, religious knowledge, entrepreneurship, computer studies, mathematics, English language and home management under the curriculum of the National Vocational Training Institute (NVTI). Students are also encouraged to pursue periodic programmes on human rights, civic education, health related issues, educational trips and inter-vocational games to broaden their horizon. Bishop Gabriel Anokye, Catholic Bishop of Obuasi inaugurating the block said it was to complement government's efforts to use quality education through vocational training to accelerate socio-economic development. He said the Church established the institute to offer vocational skills to girls between 15 and 19 years to enable them have credible alternative to education since some of them dropped out of school due to financial constraints. Bishop Anokye appealed to government to use part of the scholarship funds to support such students to equip them for the future. Sister Anne Courtney, Principal of the institute said it started in 1994 with 15 students and now had an average of 20 girls graduating each year.

She said last year, the students passed with 100 per cent proficiency in catering and dressmaking with 85 per cent passing in catering. Sister Courtney appealed to government, organisations, institutions and philanthropists to assist the institute to furnish the two departments since it was no longer benefiting from foreign assistance. Mr Joseph Kwabena Onyinah, Ashanti Regional Director of Education called on parents to monitor their children's education in order not to become dropouts. Mr Simon Osei-Mensah, Member of Parliament for Bosomtwe advised the students to take their studies serious to become national assets in future. He pledged GH¢1,000 towards fencing of the institute. Mr James Fosu, Bosomtwe District Chief Executive, expressed appreciation to the chiefs and elders of the town for releasing land for the project and pledged the assembly's support to promote the growth of the institute.