The Municipal Director of Education for the Mfantseman Assembly in the Central Region, Martha Acquah, has bemoaned the cessation in the supply of government textbooks to basic schools in her municipality.
According to her, the situation is greatly impeding the student’s academic performance, especially in their Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).
She made the complaint when Ghanaian scientist, Dr. Nana Ama Browne Klutse, held a two-day training for science teachers at Saltpond with support from Ghanaman Education Trust to equip the teachers with skills for effective teaching.
Martha Acquah, who said the cessation in supply of the textbooks is not peculiar to her municipality, explained that “in terms of logistics, we do not have books. As for registers and notebooks and exercise books, they come but not in great quantity, especially the exercise books. But at least students can have 2 or 4 each. In terms of textbooks, we do not have them. For a long time the government has not been supplying us the textbooks. What we have in the schools are already too old and torn. So we cannot make any good use of them”.
She added that, “[with] science for example, the municipality does not have the books, just a few and it is part of the reason science is going down in the municipality and the region as a whole. We have to use the textbooks, but very often teachers have had to copy the notes on the board for them. Some of the students do not even copy the notes no matter how hard some teachers try”.
Citi News understands that the Central Regional Minister assembled all education directors and other stakeholders in the region when results from the BECE results for 2017 painted a gloomy picture.
Mrs. Martha Acquah mentioned that the Municipal Chief Executive for Mfantseman, Kenneth Kelly Essuman, has promised to provide some funds for textbooks for the schools.
“The MCE is ready to support. How soon I cannot tell. But he has promised to do something for us. Maybe putting aside some of their Internally Generated Funds IGF to see if it can acquire some books for the schools”.
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By: Obrempong Yaw Ampofo/citifmonline.com/Ghana