The Ejura-Sekyedumase District Assembly has so far invested over 76,500 Ghana Cedis (76.5million cedis) in the sponsoring of 153 untrained teachers in the area, under the untrained teacher training in Diploma Basic Education programme. Dr. Joseph Ayarkwa, the District Chief Executive (DCE), who announced this, said the assembly at the cost of 9,600 Ghana Cedis (96 million cedis) was also sponsoring 96 teacher trainees each academic year. The DCE was speaking at this year's Best Teachers and Workers Award ceremony, under the theme "Meeting the challenges of the New Education Reform through a Motivated and Resourced Teacher," at Ejura. Thirty-five teachers and workers selected from the basic and second cycle schools received awards including table top Refrigerators, television sets, electric gas ovens, bicycles, roofing sheets, fans and wall clocks, all estimated to cost 7,000 Ghana Cedis (70million cedis). Dr. Ayarkwa announced that, 87 teaching assistants have been engaged under the National Youth Employment Programme to fill various vacancies in schools. He said the Assembly had built classroom blocks at Baware, Mbanoa, Ejura Brigade, Ejura, Sekyedumase, Zabrama, Ayenboboano and Sekyedumase to absorb the increasing number of children of school-going age. Dr. Ayarkwa said the assembly has also constructed four-unit teachers' quarters at Nsubonta, Adiembra Nkwanta, Anyinasu, Sekyedumase and Bayere Nkwanta to accommodate newly posted teachers posted to the area. The DCE said under the Community-Based Rural Development Project, 14 institutional KVIP latrines were under construction at Atakura number 1, Atakura number 2, Babuso, Samari Nkwanta and Bisiw all in the district. Nana Tawia Tiwaa II, Queenmother of Ejura lamented the low enrolment of girls in schools in the area and advised parents to encourage their girls to go to school. She commended teachers in the district for their contribution to the development of education in the area. Source: GNA