The Ghana Education Service Directorate in the Anloga District of the Volta Region in collaboration with USAID and Right to Play (NGO) has taken strides to enhance education among basic schools through a reading festival dubbed “Read to Learn, Learn to Read”
Madam Akpene Yvonne Ame-Bruce took turns to reveal that it is necessary to promote reading and learning to create an enriched and outstanding future for the students in the Anloga district.
She explained that if the students are encouraged to read always, they will be confident and able to compete with other students in and outside the country.
She thus indicated that her office will give the necessary support to all the teachers in the district to enable them to work assiduously towards improving the educational standards of the students.
Madam Ame-Bruce added that she is hopeful that her district will outdo the upcoming regional contest to emerge the winner.
She however expressed gratitude to the DCE Mr. Yormewu, member of parliament for the Anlo constituency Hon Richard Sepe and other institutions who supported the reading festival, adding that their contributions have played an intrinsic role in the organization of the festival.
The District Chief Executive Hon. Seth Yormewu emphasize the importance of reading in contributing to educational excellence in Ghana.
He indicated that due to lack of effective reading in most of our schools, many of our students are not doing well in their exams.
He therefore, commended the education directorate particularly the Director of education in rolling out the reading program in the District.
He charged the directorate to sustained the program for future academic excellence.
The District Chief Executive also appreciate the effort of all teachers and non-teaching staffs in their various roles in education. Even though, teachers have declared strike, but they have all showed in their numbers to grace the occasion.
He assured all that, government is putting measures in place to reduce the economic hardship the country is currently facing.
Thanked all stakeholders for their recognition and his intake to the program. He indicated that being an educationalist He has a key interest in education.
He also underscores the importance of reading in education excellence and commended the District director of education for her roles in contributing to educational excellence in the district.
He assures the Ghana Education Service of his continues support in education.
Mrs. Dinah Sefe the wife of the MP for Anlo was there to represent the MP,
She said she is very happy to be part of this important program representing the MP. She said the MP extends his greetings to all.
The MP said Reading as we all know helps to strengthen memory retention skills since one must keep what you read in mind. It helps in brain exercising and vocabulary acquisition.
He further said it helps children especially to make sense not only of the world around them but also people, building social and emotional skills and of course enhances imagination.
He said we can go on and on all these can be acquired through reading of materials like textbooks, notes, newspapers, words and etc not necessarily English language alone.
He also said we must have interest in the local language because it is also dying down.
He noted that our pupils are not developing interest in Reading nowadays because of some of the following;
*Lack of enough reading materials (of which in most cases not true).
*High cost of books, Government inability to procure reading textbooks for schools.
*School librarians are not equipped with modern books.
He also uses the opportunity to thank the Executive Director of Anlo literacy program, Dr. Dinam Zolia and his team who came just last month to supply reading materials and vans to support our course, God bless them.
One factor killing our young ones and preventing them from reading is the inappropriate and wrong use of modern gadgets such as mobile phones, which has shifted the traditional ways of engaging our children.
Both parents and pupils use it to watch films and short movies instead of reading, spelling etc. Parents should be educated during P.T.A meetings on how to use the phone for the betterment of their wards on how to download pupil learning program on the phone for their kids etc.
“As MP, I promise to collaborate with hardworking and dedicated District Director of Education in order to promote reading in the district. Parents and children/pupils themselves must show interest in reading”
“Ask them anywhere, anytime to read in our churches and mosque can also organize reading competition among the children and youths. We must all get involve to build the future. Once again, thank you for the opportunity”.
Below is the outcome of the competition:
1st – Shime Circuit
2nd- Tegbi/Woe Circuit
3rd- Srogboe/Kome Circuit
4th- AnlogaCircuit
5th- Atorkor Circuit
6th- Dzita/Anyanui Circuit