Baakoniaba(BAR), Sept. 23, GNA - A four-day training of trainers workshop for selected Kindergarten teachers to update them on Teaching and Learning Material Programmes(TLMP) opened at Baakoniaba in Brong-Ahafo Region on Monday.

They were drawn from Brong-Ahafo, Ashanti, Northern, Upper West and East Regions.

It is the first in series of programmes designed to train kindergarten teachers in the effective use of teaching and learning materials produced.

Mrs Sarah Agyemang-Dua, Director of Curriculum Research and Development Division(CRDD) of Ghana Education Service (GES) said TLMP was developed due to the acute shortage of appropriate teaching and learning materials for effective acquisition of language skills and poor performance of pupils in literacy and numeracy skills.

She said TLMP focused on three main subject areas namely English, Mathematics and Environmental Studies for lower primary level to develop 4.5 million textbooks and educational resource material.

Mrs Agyemang-Dua said authorities of Chicago States University (CSU) were selected to collaborate with Ministry of Education Science and Sports from 2005-2008 to provide technical support for the development, production and distribution of 600,000 copies of high quality, cost-effective educational materials responsive to age, gender norms and based on the priorities and curricula of GES for use in primary schools.

She noted that Ghana had produced 2,147,646 Pupils' Workshops and Teacher's Guides as well as 300,700 wall charts due to the effective collaboration between the stakeholders.

Mrs Akua Debrah, Brong-Ahafo Regional Director of Education, underscored the need to put trained teachers in kindergartens since their roles were crucial in building a firm foundation at the early stages of the child's education.

She suggested that the programme should be made an integral part of kindergarten education and urged the participants to impart the knowledge acquired on their colleagues.