VALCO Trust Fund, the charity wing of the aluminium smelting company, Volta Aluminium Company Limited (VALCO), yesterday inaugurated 17 schools under the “Zero schools under trees project” at a ceremony in Abomosu in the Atiwa West District of the Eastern Region.
Valued at GH¢324,994, each for the kindergarten (KG) schools, GH¢623, 076 each for the Junior High Schools (JHS) and GH¢762, 931 each for the Primary schools, the 17 inaugurated schools included 14 KGs, two JHS and one primary school.
Partnered with the Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service (GES), the inauguration of the schools formed part of efforts aimed at eliminating schools under trees and the reconstructing of deplorable schools across the country.
The schools included Teong KG, Upper East Region; Abomosu Presby Primary, Eastern Region; Akrofufu Presby JHS, EasternRegion; Aboabugya JHS, Ashanti Region; Kambonsiya D/A KG, Northern Region; Ayitikopre D/A KG, Volta region; Bagro Odumase KG, Oti Region; Zankum KG, Savannah Region and the Gambrongo Awiadone KG, Upper East Region.
The others were Nkwantabisa D/A KG, Ahafo Region; Awisa M/A KG, Obrayeko KG, Central, Dansokrom M/A KG, Western, Kotosaa D/A KG, Western North, Yao-Yiri M/A KG, Upper West, Kparibu Marakaz E/A KG, North East and the Junction Mangoase D/A KG, Bono East.
The schools, which were a three-unit to six-unit classroom blocks, have modern washrooms, furniture, library, canteen, head teacher’s office, store rooms, boreholes, blackboards, and a partitioned staff common rooms with space for every teacher.
Mr Kelvin Kwaku Yeboah, Executive Director of the Fund, speaking at the inaugural ceremony said the envisioned 5000 schools building project estimated at GH¢3.5billionacross the country was in response to the humiliating conditions children went through in accessing education.
Mr Yeboah indicated that the 14 schools were built in seven months, adding that the second batch of schools would be completed in May with the third batch commencing in Junethis year.
He said the fund was complementing the efforts of the government in ensuring that all children had access toquality education.
Mr Yeboah, therefore, used the opportunity to assure of the Fund’s continual support to the country “in our national lives in whichever way possible” and urged the schools and communities to use the facilities for their intended purpose and maintain them.
Speaking on behalf of the Energy Minister, Dr Matthew Opoku-Prempeh, a Deputy Energy Minister, Dr Mohammed Amin Adam, said the Energy Minister’s previous position in the education ministry made the partnership with the fund easy.
He stressed that the ministry’s mandate was not only with the provision of electricity but also the provision of educational assistance.
Dr Adam said the Energy Ministry was committed to providing electricity to all the schools and communities at no cost, and used the opportunity to appeal to government officials, well-meaning individuals and other corporate entities to get on board to assist the government in the realisation of its goals in developing the country.
Reverend John Ntim Fordjour, a Deputy Minister of Education, who also represented the Education Minister, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, said the project was also to realise government’s aim of getting every child in school and educated “so that the narrative of schools under trees become a thing of the past.”
“With this foresight, we continue to seek the assistance of all to achieve the aim of eradicating schools under trees,” he added.
BY ABIGAIL ARTHUR
