Regional News of Monday, 22 November 2004

Source: GNA

PTA spends over 600 million cedis on projects

Nkwatia (E/R), Nov. 22, GNA - The Parents Teacher Association (PTA) of Nkwatia Presbyterian Secondary/Commercial School (NKWASCO) had spent 661.5 million cedis on a number of projects of the school.

The projects, which were financed by dues of 50,000 cedis per a child per term, included a 420-million-cedis two semi-detached teachers' bungalows, a 230- million-cedis 38-seater Benz bus and two mowers worth 11.5 million cedis.

The Chairman of the PTA, Mr Benjamin Oware-Antwi, announced this at a PTA meeting of the school at Nkwatia in the Kwahu South District last Saturday.

He urged parents to pay their PTA dues promptly to enable the PTA to construct more bungalows for the teachers to help in the enforcement of discipline at the school to enhance effective teaching and learning in the school.

The Headmistress of the school, Ms Lydia Agyapong Afrifa said the school has spent over 200 million cedis from its subsidy towards the servicing of the school's 20 computers, purchasing of laboratory equipments for the school's science laboratory, rehabilitation and painting of the boys' dormitory and purchasing of school furniture. She said, to enforce discipline among the students, a third year student was summery dismissed for smoking Indian hemp, another one was suspended for one month and signed a bond to be of good behaviour for the rest of his stay in the school for urinating in one of the classrooms, while seven boarders have been made day-students for frequently leaving the school without authority.

Ms Afrifa advised parents to pay their wards school and examination registration fees by using the bankers draft to avoid given huge sums of money to their wards, which could expose them to immoral activities. She said facilities and infrastructures in the school are in deplorable conditions and therefore, appealed to the District Assembly, The Ministry of Education, the GETFund administrator, NGOs and the old students association to come to the aid of the school to ensure effective teaching and learning for the over 1,000 students. Ms Afrifa urged parents to discipline their wards at home, since that would enable them to concentrate on their books and help them pass their final examination.

Inaugurating the projects, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the School, Professor John Sefa Kwadwo Ayim, former Vice Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, commended the PTA for executing the projects to improve the living conditions of the students and tutors of the school. He advised parents to take great interest in their children's education since that is the only appropriate investment they could be bequeathed to their wards.