Sissala East Municipal Assembly Donates 1,000 Desks to Schools
The Sissala East Municipal Assembly, in collaboration with the Office of the Member of Parliament, Hon. Bataglia, and through the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF), has procured and donated 1,000 desks to the Ghana Education Service (GES) for onward distribution to selected schools in the Municipality. The donation, made at a brief ceremony held today, is aimed at addressing the acute furniture deficit confronting basic schools in the Municipality.
Speaking at the event, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Hon. Adamu Bening Yakubu, said the Assembly had, over the years, been confronted with a serious furniture challenge in schools, a situation that necessitated the intervention. He said the 1,000 desks being donated were procured from the previous year’s budget and disclosed that the Assembly would procure an additional 1,000 desks this year to further bridge the furniture gap.
He appealed to the GES and school authorities to institute a proper maintenance culture to ensure that the desks serve their intended purpose for a longer period. Hon. Yakubu further disclosed that the Assembly was also constructing school blocks in some communities, including Sinboru, Bakwala, and Kulfuo Friwa, among others. He assured residents that the Assembly would continue to invest more in the education sector.
The Municipal Deputy Director of Education in charge of Administration and Finance, Mr Godfred Beveru Kanton, who represented the Municipal Director of Education, commended the MCE and the Assembly for the donation, describing the relationship between the Assembly and the GES as cordial. He said the Municipality had a pupil population of over 12,000, adding that the current batch of desks would serve only about 2,100 pupils, leaving a significant furniture deficit yet to be addressed.
Mr Kanton said a total of 43 schools across the Municipality would benefit from the gesture. He gave a breakdown of the items as 600 dual desks to serve 1,200 pupils, 300 mono desks, and 100 hexagonal desks to serve a total of 600 pupils. He said the furniture would be distributed to schools with the most critical needs, explaining that the Education Directorate had, for that reason, tasked its various Circuit Supervisors, now known as Standards-Based and School Improvement Officers (SISOs), to lead the process of selecting the beneficiary schools. He said the donation was a response to the furniture deficit in the Municipality and welcomed the MCE’s assurance that the Assembly would procure an additional 1,000 desks this year.
Some Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) representatives who spoke to the Radford News lauded the gesture. Mr Kasim, the School Management Committee (SMC) Chairman for Challu, said the donation would go a long way towards improving the school’s furniture situation. He, however, appealed to the Assembly to also support the school with cement to renovate its old structure. Mr Yakubu Mahama, Vice PTA Chairman, also expressed appreciation on behalf of his school, noting that the desks would significantly improve teaching and learning conditions for pupils.
By Bashiru Nuhu Bapagu