ABYSMAL PERFORMANCE IN GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS ATTRIBUTED TO LACK OF SUPERVISION

Lack of effective supervision by circuit supervisors for public schools has been identified as a major setback responsible for the continuous abysmal performance in government schools.

As a result of this bad behaviour of the supervisors, teachers at the least chance absent themselves from school with the full conviction that supervisors will not come around.

This was disclosed by the head of Social Science Department Mr. John Agobre of Tamale Teacher training College at an annual review program organized by Young Christian Workers (Y.C.W) in Bawku yesterday with sponsorship from lbis –Ghana, an NGO.

(Y.C.W) is a voluntary catholic group helping Moslem children begging on the streets known in Arabic as Almajiri with formal education.

Mr. Agobre using a private school in Bawku as case study, Mother Theresa, which performance he described as superb even in the midst of conflict chalked hundred percent passes with excellent grade in last year B.E.C.E thought there was no single trained teacher, therefore, asked what was the difference?

He added that for private schools, pupils were given not less than three home works a day and for weekend not less than five home works with a column for parents to sign to indicate their supervision also at home, therefore, really keep the children busy with a little time to play.

However, in the public schools, teachers frequently absent themselves with impunity, “when it rains, no school, if anybody dies in their communities it is a big excuse, on market days is the some story, therefore the pupils are left to the mercy of the structure” he noted.

Hon. Agobre, who is also the Presiding Member for Bawku Municipal Assembly charged the Municipal and District Education Offices to intensify the supervision of their circuit supervisors to monitor the movement of the teacher especially rural areas, supervise their lesson notes as to improve the performance in public schools.

He asked the authorities also to supply them with fuel and maintaince allowance of their motorbikes regularly as that was always the bone of contention citing an example where a motor with flat tyre would take six months to receive attention.

The Presiding Member also urged Ghana Education Service not only fighting for salary increment for teachers but expedient action on teachers promotion especially those who have accepted postings to some inaccessible areas where they lack basic social amenities.

He was also not happy with the awards given to teachers like fans, T.V sets, saying which teacher has got such gadgets rather award them with motors or sponsorship packages for further studies to disabuse their minds that teachers’ rewards are in heaven.

Giving the background of Y.C.W, the Ghana President, Mr. Barnabas Aboriga explained that the association is Christian group that works with methodology of see, Judge and Act. With this direction, they identify problems in society, analyze and then act upon it to benefit humanity.
He added that as one of their numerous activities, they researched into the background of these Moslem boys roaming the street and people homes with containers in their hands dressed in tattered clothes begging in the name of religion describing their lives as undignified.

The Project Coordinator, Mr. Elias Atinbire said through the collaboration with Social Welfare, Commission on Human right and Administration Justice and Ghana Education Service, they educated the Mallams on the rights of children who they taught Quoran only which would benefit them in the Islamic religion but advise them to blend it with formal education.

Mr. Atinbire said the Mallams welcomed the idea; hence, they have been able to establish 10 non-formal classes with about 600 of such children and 20 were screened and enrolled into formal education because most of them were far above the lower primary age of schooling.

He added that currently other three classrooms structures are being constructed at Sagabo, a suburb of Bawku to absorb more of such children.

He explained the children go through a two-year cycle of non-formal education with materials and personals support from Non-formal education outfit where they learn the Quoran, English and innumeracy to give a preparatory background in order to compete with other children in the formal education.

The Bawku Municipal Assembly also pledged their support to decongest the streets with such children as such nuisance did not befit the status of the town as a transit point to other countries.


Godwin Nkunu
ISD-Bawku

HIGH SCHOOL DROP OUT SINCE CRS DEPARTURE

Fifty-five pupils, including ten boys in Gumyoko Primary School dropped out of school this academic year.

The pupils, all in the lower Primary who survived on the support provided by the Catholic Relief Services (C.R.S) could not continue their education because C.R.S folded up in September this year because of lack of funding from their donors.

Despite the bleak future of these children it did not bother their parents as some of them commented that, the girls could be baby-minders, or wash ‘pito’ calabash because they would not find anything to do after school just as some of their colleagues.

This was disclosed by the head-teacher of Gumyoko Primary and Junior high School, Madam Beatrice Dahamani this morning when ten bicycles were presented to eight teachers and two community Food Management Committee members in Bawku in the upper East Region.

Madam Dahamani explained that C.R.S had sustained pupils’ interest in education as they supplied to the schools in the three Northern Regions wheat, oil and sorghum which they used in cooking two square nutritious meals daily for the pupils.

She added that since its inception four years ago, that is four October 2004 to September 2008, the pupils were punctual and regular to school as they were assured of regular supply of meals which indeed served the aim of C.R.S for helping children to stay and study at school to prevent them from going hungry.

“It is a sad story now, lateness, absenteeism school drop-out, these are what stare us in the face just because C.R.S can’t provide the usual meals to our children, all due to the fact that parent can’t afford to support their children” she lamented.

The Head teacher said there were 500 pupils in Primary and Junior High School (J.H.S) and 205 in Kindergarten and the latter are currently being taken care of by some volunteers to sustain their interest on the education.

Madam Dahamani who is also the Assembly woman for Binduri electoral Area bemoaned the attitude of fathers who did not show any interest at all in their children’s up-bringing, however, would married more wives, what she termed as “junior wives”.

She explained that children as early as eight to nine years were left on their own to struggle for survival. Some had to afford their uniform and stationeries while the girls were forced by their mothers to baby sit their younger ones as their mothers engage in dry-season gardening at the expense of their education.

She, therefore, made a passionate appeal to Catholic Relief Service to reconsider their stands to resume their good services or the gain so far chalked would be eroded.

She also pleaded with the government to expand the Feeding Programme to cover most deprived schools since only two schools (i.e. St, Peter’s and Suweidia Primary schools) are benefiting from the programme within the Bawku municipality. Some schools that needed such immediate attention included Tansia, Kaadi, Atuba, Nofkolga, Agole, Zawse Baraboga and Daiga all primary and Junior High Schools out of 138 in the Municipality.

The Municipal Chief Executive Hon. Abdulai Abanga expressed his gratitude to the people of Bawku for the maturity they exhibited during 7th December general elections which made the process very peaceful and orderly. He appealed for calm and good neighborliness as we prepare for the presidential run-off on 28th December. He advised the people to avoid intimidations and always remember that “we’re one people first of all before our political groupings”. He called on the beneficiaries to continue in their hard work which earned them the bicycles and also take good care of them to serve the purpose which they were provided. He wished Christians and non-Christians Merry Christmas.

The Municipal Director of Education, Madam Florence Bobi extolled the success of C.R.S which drastically reduced the drop out rate in the entire municipality.

She said that the provision of lunch resulted to great increase in enrolment, improved daily attendance and retention “apart from enjoying the lunch the girl-child was provided with a monthly take-home ration, hence, girls enrolment exceeded that of the boys” she added.

Madam Bobi also suggested C.R.S major funding Agency, USAID, to re-finance C.R.S to continue and carry out more of the Quality Improvement in Primary Schools (QUPS) programmes.

Reading out the criteria in selecting the beneficiaries of the bicycles, Mr., Michael Awini, circuit Supervisor in the office of G.E.S in Bawku said that the award was given on the merit of tireless services the awardees have rendered to their schools and communities.

Also the criteria took into consideration good record keeping, adequate preparation and prompt presentation of monthly reports and termly data collections. Still others were good security of the C.R.S food entrusted to them, proper supervision of meals for the children during preparation among others.

Mr. Awuni said since C.R.S pulled out of the feeding programme, 21 schools and communities have contributed their own food that is being cooked in order to retain the pupils which was the initiative of the beneficiaries but is woefully inadequate.

He mentioned Kuka Primary School, Zabugu primary School and Gentiga Primary School which contributed corn, beans and rice to the tune of GH¢397.50.

Godwin Nkunu
JOUNALIST, ISD - BAWKU

NDC SUPPOTERS JUBILATE IN BAWKU

The Bawku Municipality and its environs were not left out in the jubilation that engulfed the entire nation in the wake of the declaration of Prof. John Evans Atta Mills as winner of 2008 presidential run-off elections.

However, the jubilant were moderate and considerate with the celebration contrary to the notion that the National Democratic Congress (N.D.C) supporters would pour out on the streets to express their joy, rather only few people were spotted jubilating on the streets.

The jubilation took place in the N.D.C’s stronghold like New Station, Bawkzua, sabongari, where the winning Party shared the party T. shirts to people.

But surprising enough, the jubilant dressed in the New Patriotic Party’s T. shirts and danced to N.P.P Party song “Go, go high” accompanied with the Kangaroo dance.

It was worthy to note that the residents exhibited a great sense of maturity in the process in order to avoid any confrontation between the two major tribes which were labeled as N.P.P and N.D.C. The security was around to ensure peace and incident free jubilations.

Godwin A. Nkunu
ISD- Bawku