Bolgatanga, June 19, GNA - Saint John's Junior Secondary School (JSS), representing Bolgatanga Central Circuit on Friday, put up a splendid performance to beat their arch rivals Anglican JSS to take the first position at the grand finale in an inter-circuit quiz competition held in Bolgatanga.

It was organized by the Ghana Library Board (GLB) for the Bolgatanga Municipality Schools as part of the Board's pursuit to promote good reading habits in children.

In the preliminary rounds, Anglican JSS, which represented Bolgatanga South Circuit, beat Saint John's JSS at all the stages to qualify for the grand finale.

The third position went to Bolgatanga North and Nangodi Circuits, while Tongo East Circuit took the fourth position. Welcoming the participants, the Acting Regional Director of GLB, Miss Rebecca Atuwam, emphasized the importance of inculcating reading habit in children and said it gave them a sound foundation for the future.

Miss Atuwam said the Board was not only limited to stocking books, protecting and lending, as well as receiving them, but it occasionally organized programmes to promote easy learning among children. The Director said as operators of libraries, the Board was a key stakeholder in the development of education, hence its concern about the poor performance of students and learners.

She appealed to the Ghana Education Service (GES) to establish "proper school libraries" instead of the current box libraries dotted within the region.

Miss Atumam also called on District Assemblies and the communities to establish district and community libraries. This, she said, should be well stocked with the relevant books, adding that they should ensure that the operations of these libraries are effective enough to improve upon the educational standards of pupils and students. Mrs Amina Iddrisu, Municipal Co-ordinator on Advise and Counselling Unit of the GES, who presided over the competition reiterated the need for the GES to map up new strategies to compel schools to display all books at school libraries instead of putting them in the stores to gather dust. 19 Jun. 04