Plan Ghana International, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), on Thursday presented educational materials worth 16,640 dollars to Tano South District Education Directorate for distribution to needy school children in the area. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) provided money for the purchase of the materials. Students in nine selected Junior High Schools (JHSs) would benefit from the donation, which included 50 bicycles, sports kits, 148 school bags, 1,480 exercise books, 148 mathematical sets, 18 sets of jerseys and 45 footballs. They are Bechem Girls Model, Dwomoh Methodist, Dwomo Community, Techimantia Presby, Techimantia Samuel Otu, Akoboro Community, Derma Methodist, Derma Islamic and Ankaase JHSs. Additionally, 168 pupils would each receive two sets of school uniforms. The presentation formed part of the Transition and Persistence (TAP), a three-year USAID-funded project, being implemented by the NGO in the country. The TAP seeks among others to help to increase JHS enrollment and completion rate in 156 schools across 13 districts in the Brong Ahafo, Central, Eastern and Greater Accra Regions. Making the presentation at Techimantia, Miss Mercy Kwafoa, education specialist for the TAP project, commended USAID for funding the project. She said that data had shown that despite the rising primary completion rate of 88 per cent, the net enrollment rate in JHSs in the country declined from 74.5 per cent in 2005/2006 academic year to 47.86 per cent in 2008/2009 academic year. Ms. Kwafoa asked teachers, School Management Committees (SMCs), parents and stakeholders in the education sector to collaborate efforts to promote education in the district. She said since the inception of the TAP project in 2010, 156 Mathematics teachers and 156 English teachers had received training in child-friendly programmes whilst construction and rehabilitation works had begun in 19 schools in the area. Ms Beatrice Asongo, the District Community Facilitator of the TAP project, appealed to parents and SMCs to ensure that the beneficiaries handled the materials with care. Ms Asongo expressed the hope that the support from the NGO would inspire the students to remain in school. Ms. Mary Gyimah, the District Director of Education, who received the materials, said that under the TAP project, refresher courses in Mathematics, English and Integrated Science as well as Information and Communication Technology had been organised for 36 teachers from the selected schools. He said: “Again, two circuit supervisors have been given series of training in monitoring and supervision to enable them to effectively monitor teaching and learning in schools.” The NGO also presented a laptop computer each to two teachers for promoting education in the area. Source: GNA