Accra, Sept. 14, GNA - Three teams will on Tuesday visit basic schools within the Greater Accra Region to interact with pupils to mark "My First Day in School" programme initiated three years ago. The teams, to be led by the Minister of Education, the Deputy Minister of Education and the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service, will each visit different schools within the region. Mr Paul Kofi Krampah, Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Education, told the Ghana News Agency in Accra on Monday that the officials would distribute souvenirs such as caps, pencils and erasers to the pupils.

"My First Day in School", which is observed on the first day of the new academic year of basic education schools, is an initiative by the Ministry of Education to whip up enthusiasm among the pupils and encourage them to stay in school.

It is also to encourage children of school-going age, who are not in school, to go to school to increase enrolment at the basic level. Mr Krampah said district directors of education and other government officials would lead teams to observe the day across the country.

He said the programme had been a success and had significantly increased enrolment figures. He said the Ministry would by close of the year begin to distribute free uniforms to pupils as promised by the government. Mr Krampah said printing of the fabrics was continuing and as soon as it was completed, the Ministry would hand them over to local sewing firms in various districts to sew for school children within their jurisdictions.