Feature Article of Monday, 20 July 2015
Columnist: Ben Sackey Enoch
Opinion
In an attempt by the Ghana Education Service to defend the indefensible, the institution has rather justified the inadequacy of chalk by its mention of the provision of some chalks to schools in the Eastern region since March this year by government.
To support their claim in their bid to defend this indefensible, they said 82,391 boxes of chalk were supplied to the Eastern regional directorate of the Ghana Education Service in March 2015 by government which according to them, those chalks was meant to cover the several schools in the region from that time till now.
But CRITICAL THINKERS believe this defence rather vindicates the headmistress who requested for basic necessities of teaching and learning from the government some days ago when the Second lady, Mrs Amissah visited the school.
In fact, this revelation justifies the Kukurantumi’s headmistress’ demand for chalk as 82,391 boxes of chalk supplied some five months ago, could not serve the entire schools in the region up to this period.
Below is an analysis by the think-tank group, CRITICAL THINKERS, indicating that, there is truly lack of chalk in the headmistress’ school in Kukurantumi and eastern region as a whole;
1. Total number of MMDAs in Eastern region = 26
2. Total boxes of chalk supplied (since March) = 82,391
3. Distribution to MMDAs = (82,391 / 26 = 3,169) That is, East Akim municipality (where KUKURANTUMI is located) got 3,169 boxes of chalk since March 2015.
4. Total number of Public Basic schools in East Akim = 240
5. Supply to schools (if evenly distributed) = 3,169 / 240 = 13 (That is each school in the district had 13 boxes of chalk)
6. Number of classes in basic schools = 11 (That is Kindergarten 1 , Kindergarten 2, Primary 1- 6 and JHS 1 – JHS3)
7. Distribution to classes (if evenly) = 13 / 11 = 1.2 (That is each class got 1 box and 2 Pieces of chalk).
It is therefore, clear from the above analysis that, 1 box of chalk could not be enough for a class (where 6 to 9 subjects are taught) for a period of 5 months.
Indeed, this truly shows that, there is no chalk in Ghana’s Public schools!!!
The interest of School children must be paramount to government than playing cheap politics with our educational system and also the GES should next time not try to defend the indefensible at the expense of the future of school children again.
Thank you
Ghana must work again!
Ben Sackey Enoch
0242967608 / 0505442747
Critical Thinkers