BATS DEPRIVE NKWANTA GES STAFF OF OFFICES ..... (Page 22)

Story: Emmanuel Modey, Nkwanta

THE uncompleted offices of the Nkwanta District Directorate of the Ghana Education Service (GES) in the Volta Region have developed many cracks in the walls, roofs and windows, allowing water to destroy stationery any time it rains.
This sad situation has been aggravated by the invasion of the premises by bats, compelling the officers to sit under trees, a development that disrupts official duties.
The Nkwanta District Director of Education, Rev. Earnest Gaewu, painted this sorrowful picture when he spoke to the Daily Graphic at Nkwanta.
He appealed to the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) Secretariat to release money to build them a new district office.
According to the director, the building was sinking and this could cause its collapse, adding that the 55 members of staff were being forced to occupy the uncompleted block constructed in 1989 for 20 staff.
He said since its construction, the building had not undergone any renovation, hence the problems.
Rev. Gaewu expressed the hope that the GETFund Secretariat would offer the necessary assistance.
He said even though some schools in the district had started running double shifts, they were facing the problem of shortage of teachers, stressing that “we still have over 150 vacancies for teachers”.
Rev. Gaewu stated that the government’s decision to pay the fees of pupils in basic schools had increased enrolment.
“The pilot programme forms part of the government’s decision to finance the education of pupils in 40 deprived districts in the country including Kete Krachi and Nkwanta in the Volta Region,” he said.
According to him, expenditure per schoolgirl was GH¢35 while that of a boy attracted GH¢23, adding that the difference in the amount was to ensure that more girls enrolled in school.
Rev. Gaewu was grateful to the Department for International Development (DFID) for funding some of the educational programmes in the district.
These included the provision of 324 cupboards valued at GH¢19,826, which had been distributed to four out of the six educational circuits in the district.
Rev. Gaewu stated that DFID had also decided to supply 50 needy children with school uniforms, bags, writing materials and exercise books.