The Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO Ghana) has secured over two million pounds to implement the second phase of the Tackling Education Needs Inclusively (TENI) project in three districts in the Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions.

In all, 14,000 pupils in 60 basic schools in West Mamprusi, Talensi and Jirapa Districts will benefit from a three-year project, which ends in 2017.

The TENI project seeks to achieve systemic changes in education delivery to ensure that girls and children with disability receive quality teaching and learning to enable them to achieve greater heights as well as empower them (beneficiaries) to effectively articulate their concerns for attention.

Mr Eric Duorinaah, Programme Manager of VSO Ghana in-charge of Northern Sector Activities announced this at a stakeholders’ forum in Tamale on Friday to review the end of the phase one of the TENI project, which was implemented from 2009 to May 2014.

The phase one of the projects has led to increased school enrolment and retention in the beneficiary districts (West Mamprusi, Talensi and Jirapa) from below 49,000 in 2009 to 77,000 in 2014, increased the confidence and interest in education for over 20,000 pupils and built the capacity of teachers and management of Ghana Education Service (GES) in the beneficiary districts to improve their performance.

Mr Duorinaah said other activities to be undertaken as part of the implementation of the phase two of the project included in-service training for teachers based on needs assessment, mounting of girls clubs to give them a voice in society, school performance appraisal meetings and national level advocacy amongst others to ensure efficiency.

He called for active involvement of all stakeholders to achieve systemic changes in education to give a bright future to especially rural girls adding “A lot will change in promoting synergy if the GES plays a lead role in bringing the many organizations together.”

He thanked Comic Relief, UK for providing the funds for the project and assured that VSO, Ghana and its implementing partners including GES, Integrated Social Development Center, National Service Scheme amongst others would work had to ensure that the aims of the project were realized.

Mr Paul Apanga, Northern Regional Director of Education, whose speech was read on his behalf, underscored the significance of the TENI project in the education of girls in the beneficiary districts and asked that it be expanded to cover more schools.

There were testimonies by Directors of Education from the beneficiary districts, who lauded the project saying it had helped them to come out with core values and approach to education, which GES had adopted as a model for other districts across the country.

VSO Ghana is a non-governmental organization that works in the areas of disability, education and secure livelihoods whiles Comic Relief, UK is an international organization that works to tackle the root causes of poverty and social injustice across the world.