By:?Frederick Duodu Takyi
The Churches in the Volta Region have pledged their unflinching support to the Rotary Club of Ho to undertake several projects to reverse the dwindling academic performance and educational standards in the Volta Region.
So far the Moderators of two main Churches in the Volta Region, Rt Rev. Francis Amenu of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church and Rt Rev. Dr. Edem Kwaku Tettey of the Global Evangelical Church have pledged their full support to the educational initiatives and projects of the Club.
This became possible after Rotarian Bright Dey who is also the Planning Officer of the Volta Regional Education Directorate and the Club?s President, Rockson Kwesi Dogbegah respectively had separate discussions with the two Christian leaders.
To this end, the two Rotarians together with other Rotarians were welcomed by churches in Ho the regional capital this month to raise awareness and seek support in improving the academic performance of pupils and students in the region.
Other members on the entourage were the Immediate Past President of the Rotary Club, Vivian Agbotse, and Past President Douglas Kirk Wagba and Chairman of the Education Committee, Dickson Ogordor who is also Deputy Regional Director of Finance and Administration at GES.
The churches visited included the Global Evangelical Churches at Fiave, Mawuli estates, Kabhill and SSNIT Flat. This is the first batch of subsequent visits to other churches with the Ho Municipality and other churches across the region.
The visits which is part of educational sensitisation strategy dubbed ?Making Education Everybody?d Business? also falls in line with the 2014/2015 theme of the Rotary Club of Ho; ?Lighting Up Education In the Volta Region.?
At each of the churches, the President spoke about Rotary?s six areas of focus; Peace and Conflict Resolution, Disease Prevention and Treatment, Water and Sanitation, Maternal and Child Health, Basic Education and Literacy as well as Economic and Community Development.
He expressed dissatisfaction over the consistent poor performance of pupils at the Basic Education Certificate Examinations (BECE) level since 2009. The average percentage pass of the region fell from 48.8% in 2009 to 43.7% in 2010. It dropped further to 38% in 2011 and drastically fell to 27% in 2012 and gained some marginal increase of 39% last year.
The reasons adduced at a Stakeholders forum organized by the Rotary Club, Ho on the 19th June this year included Teacher Shortage and Unavailability, Poor Reading and Learning Habits and Lack of Effective Supervision.
He therefore enlightened congregants on Rotary Club of Ho?s interventions planned to redeem the dwindling fortunes of education in the Volta Region which hitherto was seen to be the reservoir of the human capital of Ghana. These he said were designed in consultation with the Regional Directorate of the GES.
They include an Award Scheme to stimulate community interest and increase pupil and teacher performance. The establishment of reading clinics, collaboration with GES, VR to implement the ?Volta Reads Project? where it?s estimated that over 200,000 reading books will be supplied at the cost of GH?5.00 per book.
The team stressed the need for all to invest in at least one book for each child. The other interventions are to set up a monitoring group and to recruit volunteer teachers.? The recruitment exercise is planned to start from by the end of August, 2014.
Churches offered to assist in raising funds to support the projects. Letters?have also been circulated to the umbrella bodies of churches in Ghana.
Source:?Daily Guide, Ghana
