The Integrated Social Development Centre (ISODEC) has conducted Performance Monitoring Tests (PMT) in 110 Primary Schools in the West Mamprusi District of the Northern Region. The exercise which was meant to assess the numeracy and literacy skills of pupils in basic schools in the District, involved 7,729 pupils under the Tackling Education Needs Inclusively (TENI} Project funded by Comic Relief, a British Charity Organization through the Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) in Ghana. The project’s major objective is to improve retention, transition and performance of pupils in basic schools in the Upper East, Upper West and Northern Regions. Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in Bolgatanga, the Regional Manager of ISODEC, Mr Jonathan Adabre said the result of the PMT would be used to conduct school, community, circuit and district level performance appraisal meetings with parents, teachers, education managers, community opinion leaders, political representatives and other key stakeholders in education management and delivery. He explained that from such meetings stakeholders would then use the results and the agreement reached to map out the strategies including School Improvement Plans to deal with barriers to quality education delivery and work holistically towards improving performance and retention. Mr Adabre said the TENI Project was putting every stakeholder on their feet to effectively execute their responsibilities in ensuring improved performance, retention and transition. He said under the Project, Girls clubs had also been formed and girls mentors trained across the entire District. ISODEC had earlier assessed the governance structures and their effectiveness in ensuring quality education delivery which culminated in communities taking steps to revive the defunct School Management Committees and constituted themselves into groups to address their own educational challenges, he added. He said ISODEC partners including Link Community Development and Pronet North Association also implemented a similar project in the Talensi Nabdam and Jirapa Districts of the Upper East and Upper West Regions respectively. According to the Regional Manager of ISODEC, the TENI Project is a 10-year programme to be implemented in two phases. The first phase began in 2009 and would end in 2013. “It is expected that the performance, transition and retention rates would have improved significantly at the end of the first phase. The Project which initially targeted 80 per cent of basic schools in the West Mamprusi District, is currently covering 100 per cent as a result of the commitment of stakeholders and the desire to make a lasting impact”, he stated. Source: GNA