More than 1,500 schoolchildren from primary to junior high school level have so far enrolled in the Ogyeamansan Free Vacation Classes being held at St. Patrick’s Basic School in Sunyani.
The initiative, introduced by the Paramount Chief of the Sunyani Traditional Area, Odeefour Ogyeamansan Boahen Korkor II, is aimed at supporting parents and contributing to improved academic performance among schoolchildren in the Sunyani Traditional Area.
The classes, which commenced in the first week of August, are held from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Monday to Friday, and are being facilitated by about 40 professional teachers.
The programme forms part of efforts by the Sunyani Traditional Council and the Ogyeamansan Educational Trust Fund to complement the work of the Ghana Education Service and promote good quality education in the area.
Inspection tour
During a recent inspection of the classes, Nana Addae Kuntuma IV, Nifahene of the Sunyani Traditional Area and Supervisor of the Ogyeamansan Educational Project, said the programme was progressing steadily, with encouraging participation from pupils.
The inspection, he explained, was intended to assess the progress of the programme, identify challenges confronting teachers and pupils, and learn from the successes recorded since its implementation.
Monitoring
Mr Atta Akoto Senior, in charge of Communications at the Sunyani Traditional Council, said regular monitoring and supervision would enable the management of the project to develop practical strategies to strengthen the programme from the next academic year.
He disclosed that plans were also far advanced for the project to partner with organisations to provide daily free meals for participating children from the next academic year.
Nana Korang Stephen, a stakeholder in the Ogyeamansan Educational Project, pledged his support towards sustaining the initiative and urged the teachers to remain committed to giving their best to the pupils.
The Secretary of the Ogyeamansan Educational Trust Fund, Dr Mrs Vida Korang, expressed satisfaction with the high level of enrolment and the commitment demonstrated by the teachers.
Commendation
She commended the teachers for their tireless efforts and called for continued collaboration among stakeholders to ensure the long-term success of the programme.
“We need the input of you all, stakeholders, to properly design the way forward for the next academic years,” she said in a sideline interview with the media.
Dr Korang said the Paramount Chief remained passionate and optimistic about supporting the Ghana Education Service to raise the standard of education in Sunyani.
Partnerships
She said the traditional authority would continue to explore partnerships and other interventions capable of improving educational outcomes and creating better opportunities for children in the traditional area.
The Ogyeamansan Free Vacation Classes are expected to serve as an important component of the traditional authority’s broader educational support programme, with lessons from this year’s implementation expected to inform improvements in subsequent years.
