Garu(UER), May 19, GNA - Basic Schools in the Garu-Tempane District were on Wednesday presented with books and cassette recordings of the President's Special Initiative (PSI) on Distant Learning telecast on Ghana Television.

The books included 10,000 exercise books for pupils and 4,000 English readers for Upper Primary and Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) students.

Junior Secondary Schools in the district already presented with television sets were presented with DVD Players and Compact Discs on the programme.

Mr Emmanuel Asigri, Garu-Tempane District Chief Executive, presenting the items to some of the schools, said the assembly had set a goal to raise standard of education in the area within two years. He said the items were the initial package to enhance teaching and learning.

Mr Asigri advised the pupils to take their studies serious and refrain from being truant and assured them of the rehabilitation of some schools in the district.

He asked them to adopt reading as a hobby and promised those who would perform well in their examination an excursion to Kumasi and Accra.

Mr Eugene Zongonaah, Garu-Tempane District Director of Education, who received the items on behalf of the schools, advised the teachers to encourage the pupils to read to broaden their knowledge. He asked the teachers to guide the pupils to learn hard and ensure they benefited from the recorded materials.

The District Director of Education, expressed concern at the inadequate number of teachers in rural schools, saying it was a big challenge.

Mr Asigri visited Sinibaga Primary School, where the head teacher alone teaches in all the six classes with the assistance of two volunteers.