The Asante-Akim North District has stepped up efforts at improving the academic performance of school children in the area with the launch of ?free vacation classes? for them.
Students of junior and senior high schools, who otherwise would be roaming the streets ? exposed to all kinds of risks and temptation – during the long holidays, are being assisted to focus on their studies.
The programme, funded by the Member of Parliament (MP), Mr Kwadwo Baah-Agyemang, has been hailed by parents, teachers, and the other stakeholders as a vital intervention.
The classes are being held in three designated centres: Agogo, Domeabra and Akutuase.
The MP told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that, more than 20 volunteer teachers are on hand to teach the students, who would be supplied with free exercise books and other learning materials.
This is the second time within a year that students in the district were benefitting from such free tuition, he said, adding that, over 700 of them participated in the previous programme.
Reporters of the Agency had visited the area under Strengthening Transparency, Accountability, and Responsiveness -Ghana?s (STAR-Ghana) Media Auditing and Tracking of Development Projects, an initiative launched to put a spotlight on how state resources are being used to improve the quality of life of the people, particularly the rural population.
The goal is to aid transparency, promote accountability and good governance.
Mr Baah-Agyemang said he was determined to go to every length to help raise the standard of education to give the youth in the area a better future.
He is already in touch with United States (US)-based ?Walk to Learn Foundation? an NGO, to supply library and textbooks covering the various academic disciplines to basic schools in the district, he said.
He also announced plans to give more financial support to brilliant but needy pupils and students.
STAR-Ghana is a multi- donor pooled funding mechanism (Funded by DFID, DANIDA, EU and USAID) to increase the influence of civil society and Parliament in the governance of public goods and service delivery, with the ultimate goal of improving the accountability and responsiveness of Ghana?s government, traditional authorities and the private sector.
GNA
