Cape Coast, Feb. 15, GNA - Three basic schools in the Central Region have been selected to participate in a programme that seeks to promote partnership between schools in sub-Saharan African and the United Kingdom.

The Montessori School, Catholic Girls Junior Secondary School (JSS) in Elmina and Mankessim D/A Primary and JSS are to benefit from a three-year sponsorship of 15,000 pounds from the British Council. Mr John Prescott, the Deputy British Prime Minister, said this in Cape Coast as part of his two-day visit to the Central Region. The programme dubbed "Connecting classrooms 'Central Peak' Partnership" is to enable beneficiary schools to undertake educational and cultural exchange programmes and also assist them with teaching and learning materials.

In all 90 schools in Ghana, Zimbabwe and the UK are benefiting from the five-year programme of which some of the schools are in their third year of participation.

Addressing students at a durbar held in his honour at the Montessori School, Mr Prescott said the programme was geared towards bringing people, teachers and students of different cultural backgrounds together to exchange ideas and to enhance the development of their countries.

He said the "classroom connection partnership" would also enable the youth to communicate more effectively among themselves and avoid the mistakes that were made in the past by their ancestors. "If a country has a sense of pride for its children then it has a great future and hope".

Mr Prescott underscored the importance of education and said it was only through education that the "slavery of ignorance" would be overcome.

He said the British government, in collaboration with the government of Ghana, was making efforts at ensuring that in the next 10 years all children of school going age would be at school to ensure Ghana's socio-economic development.

The Central Regional Minister, Nana Ato Arthur, lauded the programme, commended the British government for the sponsorship and urged the teachers in the beneficiary schools to give off their best to enhance the success of the programme.

He appealed to the British government to extend the programme to many more schools in the country and the Central Region in particular. Ms Margaret Hinson, the Headmistress of Montessori School, on expressed gratitude on behalf of the beneficiaries and said they would work hard to ensure the success of the programme.