Regional News of Friday, 26 September 2003

Source: GNA

NGOs disrupt academic work in Fanteakwa schools

Begoro (E/R), Sept. 25, GNA- Headteachers in the Fanteakwa District have expressed concern about the unauthorized manner some Non-Governmental Organisation (NGOs) and Community Based Organisation (CBOs) conduct programmes in their schools at the pretext of educating pupils on the HIV/AIDS.

Making the complaint at a meeting with the District Director of Education at Begoro on Wednesday, the Headteachers complained that the activities of the NGOs disrupted academic work in the schools last year. They observed that the NGOs and CBOs receive sponsorship from the Ghana AIDS Commission and rush to the schools without authority to conduct AIDS educational programmes, which invariably disrupt academic work.

The Headteachers told the meeting that the organisations rush to the schools without authority to conduct the programmes, to enable them to obtain some data to complete their financial returns.

They, therefore, appealed to the authorities to streamline the activities of the NGOs and CBOs who operate in the district.

The District Director of Education, Mr Stephen Peter-Andoh, urged the organisations, which target schools for their operations to obtain authorisation from the District Directorate of GES before operating in schools in the district.

Mr Peter-Andoh asked Headteachers not to entertain any organisation to operate in their schools without authorisation from the District Directorate.?

He asked Headteachers to cooperate with Parent/Teacher/Associations (PTAs) and School Management Committees (SMC) in their communities to improve upon the performance of their schools.