PUPILS IN 14 BASIC SCHOOLS GET FREE UNIFORMS (PAGE 42, SEPT 29, 2010)

ONE thousand, three hundred and forty-two basic school pupils in 14 primary schools in deprived communities in the Sene District in the Brong Ahafo Region have benefited from the government’s free school uniform intervention.
The beneficiary pupils are from the Dwankrom Presbyterian, Akyeremade Battor District Assembly (D/A), Akyeremade Roman Catholic (R/C), Lassi D/A, Menkor D/A, Lemu Mantukwa D/A, Zambrama D/A and Chense Battor DA primary schools.
The rest are Dogondagyi DA, Adorkope D/A, Kulungugu D/A, Asempanaye D/A., Zigakope D/A, Tabus D/A, Abugame D/A, Abuoso D/A and Ayetsekope D/A primary schools.
The presentation was made on "My First Day at School” when the new entrants were presented with fruit drinks and cups.
Speaking at separate ceremonies at Dwankrom and Akyeremade Battor, the Sene District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Dominic Napare, said the gesture was in fulfilment of the campaign promise of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to provide free school uniforms and exercise books for basic school pupils.
He said it was also part of the government’s intervention to ensure that all schoolchildren had access to education and remain in school.
Mr Napare said pupils of 84 basic schools in deprived communities in the district were expected to benefit from the free school uniforms.
He said the 14 beneficiary schools were part of the 84, giving the assurance that the remaining pupils would receive theirs whenever they were ready.
The DCE added that schoolchildren in the district had already benefited from the free exercise books.
Mr Napare advised parents not to use the pro-poor intervention put in place by the government to lessen the burden of educational expenditure on them to shirk their responsibilities towards the education of their wards.
The District Director of Education, Mr William Yaw Xetor, said the free school uniforms and exercise books policy of the government was also aimed at sustaining the interest of pupils in school.
He, therefore, reiterated the call on parents to complement the efforts of the government by providing other educational needs of their children to ensure their retention in school.
The DCE later inspected the construction of a two-bedroom teachers’ accommodation at Kwame Danso which is at the roofing level and a three-unit classroom block at Lemu, which is also at the lintel, to accommodate the pupils as a result of increase in enrolment.