Yendi (N/R), Dec 25, GNA - Mr. Ziblim Nantogmah, the Yendi Municipal Director of Education, has commended National Service personnel for accepting posting to schools in the rural areas. He said about 60 per cent of teaching positions in the eastern corridor of the Northern Region were filled with national service teachers who were rendering invaluable service to pupils in the rural areas.

Mr. Nantogmah said this in a speech read for him at a three-day "Teaching skills course for fresh national service volunteers" jointly organised by the National Service Scheme and the British Volunteer Service Organisation (VSO) in Yendi on Saturday. The 260 participants at the workshop were drawn from the Yendi Municipality, Nanumba South, Nanumba North, Karaga, Saboba/Chereponi, Wulensi, Bunkpurugu, Bimbila and Bunkpurugu districts. Mr. Nantogmah appealed to teachers posted to rural areas not to see their posting as punishment but rather as a challenge to help develop the rural areas to reduce poverty. Nii Laryea Squire, Deputy Director of the NSS said it had always being difficult to get trained teachers posted to remote areas and commended the service personnel. Alhaji Mohammed Habib Tijani, the Municipal Chief Executive, said teachers needed to be accorded respect in society because of the significant role they were playing in teaching and moulding the character of the future generation.