Regional News of Wednesday, 5 March 2003

Source: gna

Japan gives to two schools

The Japanese Government on Tuesday signed two grant contracts to the tune of $101,414, which is about ?851.8m with two schools in the Volta and the Brong Ahafo Regions.

Kadjebi-Asato Secondary School in the Volta Region would be given $63,864 while Kosane Local Authority Primary School in the Brong Ahafo Region would receive $37,550 under Japanese Government Grant Assistance for Grassroots Projects (GGP).

The grant was in response to appeal by the two institutions to build teachers, bungalows for their various schools.

At the signing ceremony in Accra, Mrs Kazuko Asai, Japanese Ambassador to Ghana said the gesture was done with the thought to provide decent accommodation for the teachers and to raise their morale.

She said with such facility, the teachers would be nearer to the school to provide extra quality classes for the pupils and students. Mrs Asai expressed the hope that the facility would also help retain qualified teachers at the various schools and help to curb the situation where teachers refused to accept postings to deprived communities.

She, however, urged the recipients to use the funds judiciously in implementing the projects since her government would do all it could to reach as many communities as possible in Ghana.

"These projects under the GGP, would help to promote the friendship between the peoples of Japan and Ghana", she said. Francis Krowu, Headmaster of the Kadjebi-Asato Secondary signed for his school while Isaac Anabah of the Parents Teachers Association of the Kosane L/A Primary School signed for his school.

Krowu said only 12 members of staff including the headmaster and his two assistants out of 38 staff were currently housed. He expressed his appreciation for the gesture, which he said would go a long way to improve the academic performance in the school.

Anabah said the gesture, which was the first of its kind to the school, would be used to construct four bungalows and sink six boreholes for the community.