The Municipal Chief Executive for Akuapim-North in the Eastern Region has extolled the values of education as the key to the development of the country.

Barima Awuah Sarpong Asiedu-Larbi said the progress of the country would be hampered in all spheres of life if pupils were kept at home for a long time.

The Assembly Chief who was interacting with pupils during his tour of the Akuapim-North Municipality during the ‘My First Day At School’ exercise encouraged the children to inculcate the habit of coming to school always and that nothing should dissuade them from attending school because that is the only way to get them a better job in future.

The MCE urged them to be punctual at school, take their studies seriously and also be respectful both at home and school.

Mr. Barima Awuah in the company of the Municipal Director of Education, Madam Elizabeth Annor Korkor led a joint delegation comprising officers from Akuapem-North Municipal Assembly and the Municipal Directorate of Education to visit selected schools within the Akuapem-North municipality.

The objective was to welcome and encourage newly admitted KG and Class One pupils to school. Also included in the team were the Planning Officer of the Ghana Education Service, Mr. Nicholas Kwaku Darko, the PRO, Mr David Agyemang and the Assembly Member for Mampong, Mr. Charles Oheneba.

The visit took the MCE to six selected schools comprising Okuapeman Basic School, Mamfe Presby Primary, Otwetiri M/A Primary, Abenta M/A Primary, Obom basic primary and Mangoase Islamic Arabic Primary School.

‘My First Day at School’ is an annual ritual in the educational calendar in Ghana to receive newly admitted pupils to the Kindergarten and Class One stages.

In interacting with both teachers and the pupils at the Okuapemman Basic School, the MCE, was elated that school has been reopened again.

The Assembly Chief submitted that the country was no longer in normal times as the COVID-19 is still lingering around and called on all and sundry to observe the safety protocols and develop the habit of frequent hand washing and the wearing of face masks.

Mr. Barima Awuah also cautioned pupils to desist from sharing items such as bowls, spoons, cups, pencils, pens and the likes with their colleagues in class and at recreational periods and appealed to teachers to be a little committed by supervising the activities of the children, especially during contact hours.

At the Mangoase Arabic Primary, the MCE was saddened by the deplorable state of the school block and furniture. He said the school facility and the environment formed part of the tone of every school, adding that it contributed immensely to the success of any school and promised to address the situation before it gets out of hand.

In her submission, the Municipal Director of Education, Elizabeth Annor Korkor tasked teachers to ensure that the school environment is kept spick and span at all times.

She emphasized that teachers were the main players in ensuring that the children kept their school uniforms clean especially in the school and urged teachers to be self-disciplined by keeping to handwashing habits and wearing their face masks so that they could entreat the children to do likewise.

She assured the schools that the government has promised to provide some PPE to schools and that distribution would be carried out as soon as they arrive.

The MCE alongside the GES Director donated school uniforms to some less privileged pupils at Otwetiri and Abenta primary schools.

The KG and Class 1 pupils at all schools visited received exercise books, storybooks, pencils, erasers, biscuits, soft drinks and nose masks.