NORTHERN PRESYTERY LAUNCHES EDUCATION STRATEGIC PLAN (MIRROR, PAGE 35)

From Benjamin Xornam Glover, Garu

The Northern Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana ended its Seventh Annual Conference with the launch of a four- year Education Sector Strategic Plan to improve upon the education in its area of operation at Garu in the Upper East Region.
 The plan which stretched from 2007 to 2010 would among other things address the inadequate number of trained teachers, increase teaching and learning materials as well as augment the low enrolment of girls in the basic education.
 Addressing the conference, the Chairman of the Northern Presbytery Rev. Kwasi Addae Naami explained that out of this plan, a project called Quality Education improvement Project has been established with a yearly support to the tune of €100.000 for the next four years from Oikonomos Foundation.
 He explained further that one of the components of the project is the sponsorship package for 15 students in training colleges who would serve in Presbyterian schools at the end of their studies and also sponsorship package for volunteer teachers.
Naami, however, indicated that there were some limitations with regard to the usage of the funds, for instance at no time should not more than 25 per cent of the fund be used for infrastructure. “Infrastructure development can for the time being only take place in two districts, namely Tamale
Rural and Urban and the fund cannot be used to build kindergartens or Nurseries” he stressed.
 Rev Naami encouraged members to endeavor to seek other sponsors for other sectors within the strategic plan as well as coverage areas which were not sponsored by the donors.
 The Chairman also announced that the Presbytery has completed its first phase of Information Communication Technology (I.C.T) center and it was ready to be commissioned in April by the Moderator of the general Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana.