The CBE is a programme which aimed at providing educational opportunities for out-of-school children between the ages of 9 and 14.

Speaking at dialogue with stakeholders in the educational sector to review some policies of the program, Dr. Ghartey said the programme is doing all it can to reduce the number of dropouts in the country by targeting communities with the most dropouts.

“This complementary basic education program is doing a number of things to bring children that are out of school back into school. We have two stripes of children that are out of school, children that have never been to school, and children that were in school and for one reason or the other dropped out. And it covers children from the ages of 9 to 14. What it does is that it looks at communities that have a number of out of school children who would otherwise miss the opportunity be literate.”

“Over the five years that the DFID and USAID have sponsored us, they have committed about twenty-seven million UK pounds to the implementation of the program but for the government to be able to continue one would expect that about 27 million to 30 million UK pounds sterling would be something we should be looking at to bring back the children in to school. But this would not be only in money terms, it will partly be in terms of human support that the government would be contributing, and some would be used for buying the teaching and learning materials.”

Revealing the number children the program has successfully brought back to school he pointed out how the remaining children would go through stages in order to be prepared for formal education.

“What this program is doing is to first of all take them through a nine-month literacy and numeracy program to equip them to be able to read and write in their mother tough language, after the nine months most of them are able to acquire adequate skills in terms of reading and writing in literacy and numeracy and they are able to transition into the former school. This way the project is able to bring a number of out of school children back into school. Currently, there are about 600, 000 out of school children. Out of this six hundred thousand, the project has been able to bring on board with the five years as many as 250, 000 children back into school. The program is in partnership with a number of organisations alongside the Ministry of Education and Ghana Education Service.

The Minister of Education, Matthew Opoku Prempeh said even though the program has helped minimize the rate of out of school children the CBE would be scrapped once it has served its purpose.

“We agree this intervention is not here to stay forever, but it’s meant to address the dampers of out school children in the system and once we have reduced it to insignificant numbers, and put in place measures and systems to ensure all children have access to education, participate remain and complete education we will no longer continue with the CBE program,” he said.

–

By: Ann-Shirley Ziwu/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post £30m needed to ensure all street children access education – Analyst appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The disease was detected in some students of the school last year [2017] and was believed to be related to the deaths of some four students.

[contextly_sidebar id=”FXy6rI8ptpOdLBZyVpa5c7B75ADIfHCw”]A statement issued by the Health Ministry however indicated that no new cases of Swine Flu had been reported since 19^th December, 2017.

It further stated that the disease was a localized one and has since been controlled and declared over.

“Having gone over two maximum incubation periods without any new reported case linked to the outbreak, we consider it appropriate to, and subsequently wish to declare the outbreak over on technical grounds.

“We have instituted and strengthened systems to prevent, detect cases early and timely respond to any future occurrences to mitigate negative impact. Lessons learnt have been used to enhance school health and surveillance systems for H1N1, other Influenza-like illnesses and all priority diseases strengthened in the school and nationwide,” the statement said.

Health officials on high alert at KUMACA as school reopens

On Wednesday, health officials in the Asokore Mampong Municipality in the Ashanti Region, indicated that they will continue to monitor developments at school to avert a possible outbreak of any disease as the students resume to begin a new term.

Officials said they had also intensified surveillance in the school and within the Municipality to contain any case that might come up.

The statement from the Health Ministry is below

An outbreak of Influenza-A H1N1 was confirmed in a secondary school Kumasi Academy (Senior High School) in Ashanti Region in December, 2017. Simultaneously, sporadic cases of meningitis were recorded in three secondary schools; one school in each from the Eastern, Northern and Upper East Regions.

The Influenza-A H1N1 outbreak in Kumasi Academy started on the 29th November 2017 and as of 31st December 2017, a total of 95 cases (suspected, probable and confirmed) including four (4) deaths have been reported.

The response actions towards the outbreak included: improved case management including the use of antiviral agents (Relenza and Tamiflu), enhanced surveillance, public education and vaccination against H1N1 pdm09; with coverage of over 90 % of the students and staff (teaching and non-teaching) population.

Currently there are no more new cases and the last case was reported on the 19th December, 2017. Having gone over two maximum incubation periods without any new reported case linked to the outbreak, we consider it appropriate to, and subsequently wish to declare the outbreak over on technical grounds.

The H1N1 outbreak in Kumasi Academy was a localized one and has since been controlled and declared over. We have instituted and strengthened systems to prevent, detect cases early and respond to any future occurrences to mitigate negative impact. Lessons learnt have been used to enhance school health and surveillance systems for H1N1, other Influenza-like illnesses and all priority diseases strengthened in the school and nationwide.

We wish to indicate that, the vaccination exercise was conducted free of charge to the relevant school population and frontline health providers. The focal nature of the outbreak did not require nationwide vaccination campaign.

We recommend to the general population to observe general preventive measures which include cough and sneezing etiquette, personal hygiene, handwashing with soap and water and use of hand sanitizers.

Individuals that experience symptoms of Influenza-like illness are requested to report immediately to the nearest health facility for the necessary investigations and treatment.

Signs and symptoms of Influenza A (H1N1) include the following: Fever and chills, cough, sore throat, muscle aches, headache, runny nose, diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting, fatigue (tiredness) and shortness of  breath.

H1N1 can be prevented as follows: Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing.

Encourage hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette of both people who are well and those who have any symptoms of H1N1. Wash your hands with soap under running water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Do best to practice personal and environmental hygiene (Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces at home, work or school, especially when someone is ill).

Report quickly to the nearest health facility. Do not self-medicate. In another development, attention of the Ghana Health Services has been drawn to a publication in sections of the media (Print, Electronic and Social Media) claiming the Vaccination for Influenza-A H1N1

Meningitis is being offered for sale to students and parents in some public health facilities across the country. The Ministry of Health / Ghana Health Service has initiated investigations into the allegations and the initial observations indicate that, the H1N1 vaccination exercise was conducted mainly for and restricted to the targeted school population and selected frontline health workers and was done free of charge. We further wish to state that, no H1N1 vaccines nor Meningitis vaccines have been given to any public health facility to be given to any other students.

Although the said publications could not give specific facilities that were charging for these vaccinations, it was highly speculated. In view of this, our Regional and District Directors of Health Services have been directed to investigate any complain of sale of vaccines that comes to their desk whether from the media or from a parent.

If any parent or journalist has proof of vaccines being sold, he or she should contact any of the Regional or District Director of Health Service in his/her area with the evidence for further investigation and application of necessary sanctions and disciplinary measures to the culprits.

For Enquiries Contact:

Dr. Badu Sarkodie – Contact: 0244417911

Dr. Franklin Asiedu-Bekoe – Contact: 0244643142

Mrs. Rebecca Ackwonu – Contact: 0208118787

Mr. Robert Cudjoe – Contact: 0249955605

ISSUED BY THE MINSTRY OF HEALTH / GHANA HEALTH SERVICE

–

By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post No more swine flu at KUMACA – Health Ministry appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The project would comprise a hostel, Information Communication Technology (ICT) centre, library, assembly hall, science laboratory, teachers’ bungalow, classrooms, a dormitory with playing ground, and washroom facilities.

Nii Korle VII, the Chief of Korleman, said this when the chiefs and people of the town in the Ga West Municipality celebrated their Homowo festival at the weekend.

He said land for the school was available, and that the citizens would provide communal labour for the project, whilst self-help contributions between GH¢20.00 and GH¢50.00 would be made by adults and non-residents of the town respectively.

Nii Korle said the school, which would be the community’s contribution towards President Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo’s free education policy would serve more than 15 communities, including Korleman, Samsam Odumase, Medie, Manchea, Adusah, Mayera, Kutunse and Hebron.

He said they were also taking steps to construct a market and Lorry Park for which lands had been offered.

The community was also ready to provide land for the one village one dam project, to create job opportunities for the people.

Nii Korle said through his initiative, the seven-kilometre road from the town to the main Accra/Kumasi trunk road had been re-graveled to make travelling comfortable for the people.

He appealed to the Ga West Municipal Assembly, non-governmental organisations, the Member of Parliament for the area; philanthropists and the Ministry of Education to support them in the construction of the school block.

–

Source: GNA

The post Korleman launches plan to build SHS appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Wing Schools are lower primary schools of kindergarten to primary three – opened in communities where schools do not exist – where children enroll in schools at the right age of four, and upon completing primary three, they transit to primary four in a full-fledged public primary school.

Oxfam IBIS, a non-governmental organisation, implemented the CCP in the East Gonja District from 2013 to March, 2017, with support from the Christmas Calendar fund, a DANIDA grant, to reduce the numbers of out-of-school children in the District.

[contextly_sidebar id=”jhFFjxwMdLSsBljHaey4e1EL3woKDENP”]Mr Tijani Ahmed Hamza, Oxfam IBIS Country Director, speaking at the closing of the CCP at Salaga, said out of the 20 wing schools established under the CCP, 16 were in various stages of being integrated into the public school system.

Mr Hamza said an assessment of the numeracy and literacy skills of the 3,642 beneficiary children revealed proficiency levels of 69.4 per cent in literacy and 59 per cent in numeracy as against public schools, which had a proficiency of 24.3 per cent in literacy and 27.3 per cent in numeracy.

He appealed to Ghana Education Service to absorb the 60 teachers (41 of whom have completed the Untrained Teachers’ Diploma in Basic Education) that served under the CCP onto the government’s pay roll to ensure the sustainability of the wing schools and schooling for the over 3,600 beneficiary children.

Alhaji Issah Abass, Head of the Inspectorate Unit of the Northern Regional Directorate of Education, who represented the Regional Director of Education, expressed government’s appreciation to development partners for their roles to improve access to education in the Region.

Mr Abu Baba, East Gonja District Director of Education, assured that the District Education Directorate would give priority attention to wing school teachers when there was an opportunity to recruit teachers at the district.

Ms Hilda Kada, one of the wing school teachers, who spoke on behalf of her colleagues, appealed to government to absorb them into the Ghana Education Service as teachers to continue teaching the children.

–

Source: GNA

The post Over 3,600 children gain access to Christmas school appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to the pupils, they have no choice than to go home earlier than the normal closing time due to the smoke that emanates from the dumping site.

Apart from that, they say they have to put up with house flies in their classrooms as a result of the proximity to the dumping site.

The pupils who spoke to Citi News noted that, the situation makes learning difficult and uncomfortable.

“We don’t feel like schooling here anymore because we don’t like the smell that comes from the dumping site as well as the houseflies and the smoke. All the time, we have to inhale the thick toxic smoke and be killing houseflies with our bare hands. Our school uniforms are always smelly because of the problem we face here. Just yesterday one of our friends collapsed because the smoke was very thick and it lasted all through our school hours” they complained

A teacher who spoke to Citi News on condition of anonymity also noted that, they have petitioned the Municipal Assembly several times but to no avail.

He said “our school often than not closes the kids earlier than the normal closing hours because even we the teachers just cannot take the smoke and the stench from the site. Most of us teachers are contemplating leaving the school because our health is at stake”

Meanwhile Citi News has gathered that the pupils last week staged a mini demonstration when the Greater Accra Regional Minister Ishmael Ashitey paid a working visit to Ashaiman.

They appealed to the Regional Minister to as a matter of urgency order the Assembly to relocate the dumping site since it is having a negative effect on their health.

–

By: Elvis Washingon/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Ashaiman pupils cry over ‘toxic’ dump site near school appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The facility constructed by GTP is worth Ghc200,000. The dinning hall is a 200 seater-capacity canteen with chairs and tables as well as a kitchenette.

According to the headmistress of the school, Mrs. Grace Asiedu Danquah, pupils of the school over the years have had to struggle to get a place to eat after they are served with their meals.

This she said was source of worry to the school for which they wrote to GTP for assistance.

“Most of our pupils in this school have had to either eat their food in their hands or eat in their classrooms which is not right. So together with the Assembly Member and the PTA, we wrote to GTP for assistance and they wholeheartedly came to our aid.”

According to her, the facility will go a long way to help them as the facility can equally be used as a meeting place for the PTA. 

The Management of GTP on their part said the facility forms part of the company’s corporate social responsibility which among other things is to provide assistance to the less privileged.

At a ceremony to open the facility, the Managing Director of GTP, Erik Van Der Staaij, said the company decided to assist the school due to the deplorable conditions under which it saw the pupils eat.

“Up till this day, the school children have no proper eating place. They eat in the open. The children sit on the staircases, stones and some even sit in the bare floor to eat their food. This was a cause of worry for us. The health of our children was at stake here,” he noted.

He said the project was funded by workers of the company as part of their contributions towards society.  He appealed to the school to make good use of it and ensure it serves the purpose for which it was built for.

Mr. Staiij noted that, GTP last year as part of its 50th anniversary, renovated and furnished the lye-in-ward of the Tema General Hospital.

The company has also donated over 15,000 bed-sheets and pillow cases to 20 public hospitals between 2013 and 2016.

–

By: Elvis Washington/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post GTP constructs dinning hall for Tema Community 4 No. 2 primary appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The brilliant spellers were selected from over 140 competitors from 11 schools in the Tema Metropolis, who participated in the regional spelling bee competition held at the premises of DPSI in Community 25, Tema.

[contextly_sidebar id=”O1SOvaMHu73U6xtal02Ijicdfhutyv1u”]Two of DPSI pupils emerged as the best of the best in the exciting competition after they squared off in the written vocabulary test before racing for two rounds of oral spelling to covert the top spot.

A total of 65 spellers qualified to represent Tema in the National Spelling Bee Competition with DPSI having the highest number of spellers among after the marks scored by each pupil from the three rounds of the contest were accumulated.

The competition was organized by the Young Educators Foundation (YEF) in collaboration with Indomie Instant Noodle.

Mr. David Raj, the Principal of DPS International Ghana pointed out that, the decision to present pupils of DPS International Ghana to participate in the competition forms part of the school’s regulation to inspire the children to pursue excellence.

“We believe that by encouraging and assisting them to partake in programs of this nature, they will be exposed to the correct usage of the English Language by learning how to spell more words, the correct pronunciation of the words and their origin, to help them improve upon their general knowledge of the English Language to enable them speak it fluently.”

The Principal was optimistic that the participants of the Spelling Bee competition, would not only gain the direct benefits of an enriched English Language, but the competitive spirit of the program would also help them build their confidence in public speaking.

“It will also train the children to do away with fright whenever they stand before a huge gathering to speak,” he elaborated.

Mr. Mukesh V. Thakwani, Chairman of DPSI and B5 Plus Ltd was impressed with the outstanding performance of his pupils in the Regional Competition in which they excelled to qualify for the national challenge.

He urged them to work extra hard to win the national competition in order to represent Ghana at the Scripps Spelling Bee in the United States.

Deputy National Coach of Spelling Bee, Ghana, Emmanuel K. Afful, extolled pupils of DPSI for putting up an impressive performance at the event and emerging the best spellers.

He urged the school to always partake in such competitions for the development of the pupils and to show the way to other schools.

Some parents and guardians who took time off their busy schedule to witness their children’s wonderful feat at the competition were impressed.

A parent mentioned that he had noticed an immense improvement in his child’s spoken English since he started participating in the spelling competition.

He promised he would ensure that his ward partakes in all competitions in the school.

A 10-year-old Raj Thakwani, one of the young spellers of DPSI who has got a place in the national competition articulated joy in his breakthrough and promised to put out an exceptional performance to join the train for Scripps Spelling Bee.

Riyush Keshan, a grade 6 pupil who was the second top speller at the regional level assured the school of embarking on serious training to bring the national trophy to DPS International Ghana.

DPS International Ghana has won the National Spelling Bee competition for three consecutive years and recorded the highest performance at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in the United State of America (USA).

The school is also noted for recording excellent results every year in the IGCSE examinations. The Spelling Bee is the local version of the internationally acclaimed Scripps Spelling Bee.

Now in its 10th year in Ghana, the competition is aimed at teaching pupils the correct pronunciation and usage of the English language.

It is also a platform to equip teachers with key approaches to the teaching of the English language.

–
By: citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post 14 DPS International pupils qualify for 2017 National Spelling Bee appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.