General News of Tuesday, 13 February 2007

Source: GNA

Government urged to address congestion in schools

Assin Adiembra (C/R), Feb. 13, GNA - Mr Derrick Owusu Ambrose, Assembly Member for Assin Adiembra in the Assin South District, has urged the government to provide additional accommodation for schools to cater for the increase in the enrolment following the introduction of the Capitation Grant.

Mr Ambrose, who is also the Pharmacist of the Agona Swedru District Hospital noted that if no serious efforts were made immediately to address the accommodation problems facing basic schools "quality education will be sacrificed for quantity education", saying if that happened "we will be producing illiterate scholars."

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency at Assin Adiembra after a visit to schools in the town, Mr Ambrose said he observed during the rounds that 150 children were packed into a classroom at the Catholic Primary A School and asked how such a practice could enhance effective teaching and learning.

Serious efforts should be made to reduce the seize of classes in our schools to make them controllable and to improve teaching and learning.

He appealed to non governmental organisations NGOs to help the government to address the situation.

The Assembly Member noted that discipline had broken down in the schools and advised pupils to bear in mind that the 10 commandment did not enjoin them to respect only their parents but also any person who was older than them.

"The only gratitude that can be paid to teachers is to recognize their importance in society," he added.