The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Obuasi, Elijah Adansi-Bonah, on Tuesday, January 10 welcomed Kindergarten and Primary One pupils to school.
The visit by the MCE forms part of activities by the Obuasi Municipal Assembly to observe ‘My First Day at School’, an annual initiative adopted by government to distribute stationery and other items to the school children.
The exercise is held annually at the beginning of every academic year to welcome schoolchildren back to school, especially those entering crèche and kindergarten (KG) as well as those joining the mainstream school system at Basic One, and is aimed at motivating the children to stay in school.
This year, the MCE who was accompanied by the Municipal Director of Education, George Alfred Koomson, visited Adaase MA Basic School, Dokyiwaa Community School, Binsere School, Anyinam Methodist School and SDA Basic School.
Mr Adansi-Bonah, who expressed satisfaction with pupils enrolment and attendance on the first day, encouraged parents to prioritize the education of their children.
“The Assembly alongside government is working hard to provide infrastructure and logistics for schools. It is, however, incumbent on parents to see to it that their children are always in school.”
Replacing old school blocks
The Obuasi Municipal Assembly has rolled out a policy targeted at replacing old dilapidated school blocks with new ones.
The MCE said the Assembly has thus included in its budget line to give facelift to at least one or two school blocks every year.
“We have realised that most of the school blocks have not seen any form of renovation over the years. The Assembly has however taken keen interest in developing educational infrastructure in Obuasi so we have made it a policy, to rehabilitate and in some cases build new school blocks every year.”
Mr Adansi-Bonah in an interview after the tour hinted that the Assembly in its bid to sustain BECE performance has decided to strengthen a section of its revised bye-laws which prohibit children from staying out at night.
He said once the bye-laws are gazetted, the Assembly will ensure its enforcement to instil discipline among children in the Municipality.
Municipal Director of Education George Alfred Koomson lauded the Assembly for putting in place measures to promote quality education in the Municipality.
He emphasized that activities such as ‘My First Day at School’ encourages the children to develop interest in school.
He said his Directorate in a bid to sustain enrolment in school, has been going to churches and visiting communities to sensitize the public on the need to go to school.
The pupils were given My First Copy books, school bags, pencils, erasers, etc by the Assembly.
