New Early Childhood Centre for Achanyeri-Goayie Primary

After many years of learning in a deplorable condition, kindergarten pupils of the Achanyeri-Goayie Primary School in the Builsa North Municipality in the Upper East Region can heave a sigh of relief.

This is due to the provision of a fully-furnished early childhood development centre to enable Kindergarten One and Two pupils to have a strong academic foundation in their pursuit of basic education.

The project, which was funded by Children Believe, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), was executed by the Participatory Action for Rural Development Alternatives (PARDA), also an NGO.

Previous condition

Hitherto, the KG One and Two pupils, numbering about 78, learnt under trees, a development which resulted in absenteeism among the pupils, since they felt uncomfortable sitting on the floor daily to study.

The absenteeism among the pupils was often attributed to the fact the pupil’s uniforms had to be washed daily, due to the dusty nature of the floor. Later, the pupils were combined in one classroom, but overcrowding negatively affected teaching and learning.

However, the provision of the new classroom block has come at an opportune time, as it has brought an end to the many years of suffering of the KG pupils and would provide a congenial learning environment for them.

Speaking at a ceremony to commission the project last Wednesday, the Country Director, Children Believe, Esenam Kavi De Souza, said her outfit works globally towards empowering children and young people.

Drop in the ocean

Stating the need for such facilities in schools, she recognised that the seven facilities that had been provided so far in the Upper West Region were just a drop in the ocean and added that such centres were very essential as they provided a sound academic foundation for school pupils.

The Country Director encouraged huge investments to be made in the construction of such centres in basic schools and indicated that Children Believe was committed to investing in early childhood education.

The Executive Director, PARDA, Dr Michael Wombeogo, was concerned that there was a gap of 56 early childhood development centres in the area which needed to be addressed to safeguard the future of the pupils.

Therefore, he called on the government and the Ghana Education Service to take the necessary steps to bridge the gap to fast-track the attainment of Goal Four of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

He thanked the chiefs and elders of the area for their contributions towards the execution of the facility and further entreated them to take good care of it to prolong its lifespan, stressing,

“We expect the community members to mobilise resources locally to replace items that get destroyed.”

He also charged the GES to take stringent measures against male teachers who engage in amorous relationships with female students, which contributes to teenage pregnancy and school drop-out among the victims.

Gratitude

Responding to the issue of teacher-pupil sexual relationships, the Municipal Director of the GES in the Builsa North Municipality, Thomas Kanlisi, appealed to parents to allow the law to deal with teachers who sexually abused their daughters.

He indicated that instances where parents of victims did not show interest in the cases made it very difficult to bring finality to such matters, to serve as a deterrent to others.

The Headmistress of the school, Flavia Anyuisa Akumbiik, who could not hide her excitement, said the provision of the facility had removed a burden they had carried for many years and further pledged to put in place a plan to maintain it.

Writer’s email: gilbert.agbey@graphic.com.gh