Alliance for Strengthening Education in Ghana (ASEG), a network of Christian organizations committed to improving education, has presented 3,600 prescribed textbooks to the Northern regional Directorate of Education for distribution to five basic schools in the Northern region.

The beneficiary schools are Kpanvo Primary, Bagliga Primary, Nyohini Junior High School, Gambaga Primary and Bagliga Primary.

Mr. Abu Musah, Programmes Coordinator of ASEG, who made the presentation at a short ceremony in Tamale, also presented 70,000 pair of shoes to be shared among some 20 basic schools in the three northern regions.

The supplementary textbooks, which cover four core subject areas – English Language, Mathematics, Integrated Science and Information Communication Technology (ICT), were procured with funding from Edukans Foundation, an organization based in the Netherlands.

He said it was to complement efforts at ensuring quality education and access, especially in the deprived areas of the country and that the shoes were part of the new innovation called child to child gift campaign.

Mr. Abu said ASEG was aware of the textbook-pupil-ratio in the country, which was inadequate, and was affecting the provision of quality education especially in the deprived areas, hence the intervention.

He said the presentation of the textbooks was one of a number of initiatives earmarked by ASEG to help ensure quality education and access in the country, starting with the Northern Region.

The Coordinator assured that ASEG was poised to work to strengthen education in the region, and appealed to the Regional Directorate of Education to support it to ensure the success of its programmes.

Mr. Salifu Adam, an official at the Northern Regional Education Directorate, who received the textbooks on behalf of the Regional Director of Education, expressed appreciation to ASEG for the presentation, saying the subject areas covered by the books formed the bedrock of education at the basic level.

He said the textbooks would help enrich the knowledge of both teachers and pupils for improved and enhanced education delivery for national development.

Mr. Salifu advised the children to shun negative lifestyles, as well as bad friends, and be committed and dedicated to their studies to enable them pass their examinations.