Akropong-Akuapem (E/R), March. 14, GNA- The Akuapem North District Education Directorate has received GH¢76,304.35, under the Capitation Grant for the 2006/2007 academic year.

The District Director of Education, Mr Alfred Osei disclosed this during a ceremony to honour the best teacher non teaching staff for the year 2007 in the Akuapem North District at Akropong on Thursday. He said the Capitation Grant had increased school enrolment since the past two years from 23,023 in 2004/2005 to 32,740 in 2007/2008, representing 29.7 per cent increase.

The District Director observed that, in order to ensure a successful implementation of the Capitation Grant, the Directorate had intensified its monitoring and inspection of schools, by putting more officers on the field.

He called on head teachers, teachers and all stakeholders "to push the education delivery in the district high". Mr Osei said, the government and the people of Ghana have realized the strenuous efforts teachers were putting in the socio-economic development of the country, and that, government has instituted the teacher's award to boost the morale of teachers to enable them to perform better.

He reminded the teachers that the success of the new educational reform programme depends largely on the degree of their commitment to duty.

The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Akuapem North, Mr Edward Adu-Aboagye said human resource development had been one of the main pillars of Ghana's poverty reduction strategy as well as the millennium development goals. He said it was against this background that the Akuapem North District Assembly in conjunction with its development partners and the support of government, undertaken about 52 development projects in the education sector.

Mr Adu-Aboagye mentioned some of the projects as the construction of new classroom blocks, renovation of old ones, provision of teachers accommodation, dormitory blocks, libraries and the supply of furniture. He said some of these projects have been completed while others were still on-going, adding that, 40 schools have also been provided with places of convenience. The DCE said under the National Youth Employment Programme, a total of 110 youth have been employed and posted to teach in several deprived communities.

Mr Adu-Aboagye urged teachers and all stakeholders in the educational sector to contribute their quota to help improve upon the standard of education in the district. Sixty teachers and non teaching staff from primary, junior high and senior high schools and teacher training colleges received various wards, with Madam Malwirie Deyegbe of Nkyenoa District Assembly Primary School emerging as the overall best teacher. She received a fridge and a 21 inch. colour television.