Ho, Nov. 21, GNA - Agenda 21, a development oriented Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, has called on Municipal and District Assemblies in the Volta Region to facilitate regular training of the School Management Committees' (SMCs) members. Mr Charles Agboklu, Co-ordinator of Agenda 21, made the call at a one-day training workshop organised by the NGO for members of some selected SMCs in the Ho Municipal area on Thursday. Mr Agboklu said the training workshop was as a result of an assessment of some SMCs, which showed that they needed training if they were to be effective in carrying out their duties. He said effective SMCs were vital to addressing the falling academic standards at the basic school level in the region. The over 50 participants were taken through techniques of building trust in the communities, mobilizing resources, monitoring of school finances and assets and improving quality of teaching and learning. Mr Agboklu said the workshop would offer the SMCs the opportunity to exchange views and experiences and gain confidence necessary to address challenges facing their schools. On how to build trust in the communities, Mr Eben Kodzo Dzikunu, Volta Regional Manager of E.P. Schools said it was important that SMCs get to the communities to identify themselves with the development of the schools.

He said they should hold regular meetings, respect different view points on issues, be tolerant and visit schools to help address their challenges. Mr Dzikunu reminded the SMCs that they held the key to finding remedies to declining academic performances at the basic level in the region. "You are established by an Act of parliament, you have power, which you are not using", he said. Mr Francis Korwu, former Ho Municipal Director of Education, urged the SMCs to ensure transparency and accountability in the management of schools finances and assets. He also urged them to adopt innovative ways of raising additional funds for the schools rather than rely solely on government support. Mr Korwu said funds generated that way could be used to organize regular meetings, provide welfare packages for teachers and pupils as forms of motivation for better performance and commitment. The participants called on the Social and Education Committees of the Ho Municipal Assembly to conduct regular visits to schools to assess their performances. 21 Nov. 08