Anaji(W/R), Sept. 16, GNA - A total of 78 new pupils registered to begin school at the Anaji Estate Key Primary School on Tuesday. This came to light when the Ghana News Agency (GNA) visited some schools in the metropolis on my first day at school, which falls today. Mrs Elisabeth Essien, Headmistress of the school said the exclusion of the nursery schools from the capitation grant was having a negative toll on them.

She said if the nurseries were included, access to quality education will succeed in the country. Mrs Essien said the school was presently saddled with several challenges, which included snake infestations, collapsing ceiling and open defecation around the school. She said the school was constructed by the former Timber Export Development Division (TIMBOD), now a part of the Forestry Commission (FC) and later handed over to the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA). Mrs Essien said termites had damaged most of the wooden panels used in fencing the school, while criminals have been pilfering from the school.

She explained that already electrical wirings in the various classrooms have been stolen, while potions of the roof of the school had also caved in and was in a deplorable state. Mrs Essien stressed that the shift system had been encouraging truancy, absenteeism and other acts that would affect the children. She therefore appealed to guardians and parents sponsoring the educational needs of some of the children, not to engage them in trading and other business activities as a way of supplementing the family income.

"Most of these children come to school tired, weak or sick, and even when they do come, they are unable to concentrate," She added. Mr John Davies, Assembly Member for Anaji Electoral Area, urged the teachers and all other helpers in the various schools to make the children happy. At the Dunwell Methodist Kindergarten, 50 pupils had so far registered.

Madam Alberta Minnah, Head of the KG said though the attendance was low, she hoped that many more children will be registered. She urged parents to provide school uniforms and other learning materials to make children enjoy their enrolment in school. Mrs Florence Adea, Headmistress of the Essikadu Catholic School said 45 children had been enrolled so far. She said this year's enrolment of 45 pupils was better than that of last year which stood at 10.

Mrs Adea commended the Member of Parliament for the Essikadu-Ketan Constituency, Mr Joe Ghartey, for providing refreshments for the pupils. Mrs Comfort Adjei-Sarfo, Headmistress of the Essikadu Methodist Day Care Centre said only eight children have been enrolled. She noted that quality education was a shared responsibility for both the teacher and parents, and therefore urged all stakeholders to play their respective roles effectively. GAN GAN/DA 16 Sept. 08