Sekondi, Nov. 26, GNA - Mr Paul Evans Aidoo, Western Regional Ministe= r, on Thursday inaugurated an 11-member reconstituted board of trustees of t= he Regional Education Fund with a call on members to do everything within th= eir power to improve the standard of education in the region. "I hope you will bring your rich background and experiences to bear i= n your new role to help to move education in the region forward". Mr Aidoo urged the trustees to try to apply equity, fairness and transparency in their deliberations so that the Trust Fund could stand th= e test of time. He said the Regional Education Trust Fund was established under the auspices of the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) in 2005 to promote th= e development of education in the region. Mr Aidoo said the main area of concern should be primary education although the other levels of education could be considered depending on t= he particular circumstances.

He said, "It is our firm conviction that when the Primary level of education is strengthened through the provision of adequate resources, it=

would automatically affect the other levels of education to improve". Mr Aidoo said some children, who should be in school, were simply out= of school owing to the influence of "Galamsey" (illegal mining) activities i= n mining areas and fishing activities in coastal communities. He hoped many more children from oil producing areas were not going t= o allow themselves to be distracted by oil related activities, which is lik= ely to affect their education.

Mr Aidoo said children should avail themselves of educational opportunities in the region so that they could be well positioned in the good jobs that the oil find would bring. He asked the Board of Trustees to deliberate on some of these issues and come up with acceptable strategies to address them since they combine to affect education delivery in the region. Mr Aidoo said the Board was expected to operate within the set objectives of the Education Trust Fund, which included assistance to need= y but brilliant pupils and students particularly in public educational institutions through the award of scholarship, bursaries and grants. He said the Education Trust Fund also aims at bringing improvement in=

the provision of teaching and learning material, equipment and tools in schools and to support special teaching and learning programmes and speci= al in-service training courses especially in Mathematics, Science and Englis= h. Nana Adu Gyamfi, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, who is the Managi= ng Director of Hillcrest Hotel, said the members would live up to expectatio= n. 26 Nov. 10

Attention recipients, item 03 ends first cast.