Deputy Western Regional Minister, Eugenia Gifty Kusi, has stressed that urgent steps need to be taken to renovate nursery schools in the Sekondi-Takoradi metropolis to encourage parents to send their words to school.
She made the observation after a tour of some schools in the Sekondi-Takoradi metropolis to mark “My First Day At School.”
“My First Day At School” was instituted few years ago by the Ghana Education Service to enable government functionaries and top education officers interact with pupils who are attending school for the first time.
The deputy regional minister was accompanied by the Regional Director of Education Enyonam Afi Amefugah, Sekondi-Takoradi Mayor, Anthony K.K. Sam, Shama District Chief Executive (DCE), Joseph Amoah, and other stakeholders,
They shared free school uniforms, writing materials and some savories to the newly enrolled pupils.
Mrs. Gifty Kusi stated that government will take the necessary steps to give the nurseries in the metropolis a face-lift so as to ensure that the child is adequately prepared for academic life “for the good state of the nurseries will be important in the formative stages of the child.”
“I have toured some of the nursery schools with my entourage and we have observed that most of the schools are in need of renovation, so l have instructed the regional director of education to forward the needs to the educational minister and l am hopeful that all nursery schools will get the needed support, to make schooling attractive to these little once.”
Regional Director of Education, Enyonam Afi Amefugah, on her part said the tour was also to motivate parents to send their kids to school.
This will enable government attain the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of ensuring all children of school-going age are enrolled in school, she added.
She also advised teachers not to be harsh on the newly enrolled pupils but give them the needed attention and care to make schooling attractive to them.
“The children are now being introduced to the schooling system. For the Primary One pupils they have already had a feel of the system. Teachers should be alert at this stage because the children can ran away from school. We advise that they give them the utmost attention and care so that the kids will love coming to school.”
The mayor for Sekondi-Takoradi bemoaned the increasing craze for telenovelas, insisting it is affecting standard of education.
“These days our problem is telenovelas. Children stay late watching these things. It is very bad for their education. Because the telenovelas prevent the children from learning. We are advising children not to spend all their time watching television. The children need long period of rest so between the hours of seven and eight they must go to bed. With this they will have enough rest for the next day,” she advised.
Story & Picture: From Simon Ahensah, ATV, Sekondi-Takoradi, Western Region
