The Member of Parliament for Asuogyaman in the Eastern region Thomas Ampem Nyarko has launched “Let’s Read Together” project to encourage interest of school children in reading to help improve their academic performance.
The project which is the initiative of the lawmaker seeks to mobilize traditional rulers, clergy and high profile personalities in the district to join the MP visit schools every Monday to read with the pupils and additionally distribute School Bags, Books, Crayons, Pencils and other learning materials sponsored by “Heaven’s Relief”, to the pupils.
The maiden reading with the school children took place at Senchi Ferry Methodist Basic School where the MP ,the Chief of Senchi and Nifahene of Akwamu Traditional Area; Nana Ofei Addo Agyeman II and his Sub-chiefs, the District Director of Education; Madam Augustina Owusu and the resident Reverend Minister of the Presbyterian Church; Rev. Elijah Foh Amaning all took turn to read a passage titled “Champion Runner” with Primary Five (5) pupils of the school after which the pupils were allowed some time to read themselves before answering questions.
In October 2019, the World Bank and the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) new metric dubbed “Learning Poverty” , 53% of all children in low- and middle-income countries were not able to read an age-appropriate text with comprehension by age 10.
In a latest report ,the World Bank warns the numbers may increase from 53% before the pandemic to 70%.
Available data indicate that, 59% of basic school pupil in Asuogyaman could not read and write as at 2014. The lack of reading text books and other teaching and learning materials in school due to government’s failure to supply same for the past four years could worsen the situation.
The MP ,Thomas Ampem Nyarko however believes the “let’s read together ” initiative will mitigate the impact and imbibe the habit of reading among school children in the district.
“Reading is very very important.Basically, before these children can do well in any subject they have to be able to to read and understand” said Thomas Ampem Nyarko.
The MP bemoaned low patronage of community library in Senchi due to low interest in reading among school children.
According to the headteacher of Senchi Ferry Methodist Basic School , Suzanna Debrah , the lack of text books in the school is also affecting the pupil’s proficiency in reading .
“The MP’s initiative is going to motivate and help the children a lot. Though we have library in the community but the children don’t go there to read because their parents do not encourage them instead use them to sell but since the MP himself has come to this school to talk to them about reading and he has also motivated them with these items I think from now going their reading ability is going to progress”
“For text books ,the English readers we don’t have them so we have been putting pressure on the parents to buy the text books for them but most of the parents ar unable to buy so normal teachers do write the passages for them to read ” The headteacher said.
The Chief of Senchi also the Nifahene of Akwamu Traditional Area ,Nana Ofei Addo Agyeman II lauded the initiative by the MP.
He assured that the traditional council will henceforth embark on sensitisation among parents to encourage their children patronize the community library to read.
Inability of students to read and comprehend examination questions have been partly blamed for the poor performance in BECE examination.
A total of 27,561 candidates representing fifty-six percent(56%) of candidates in Eastern region who wrote the 2020 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) failed.
Statistical analysis of the performance of the candidates commissioned by the Eastern Regional Directorate of Ghana Education Service (GES) indicate that, only 21,655 candidates out of total 49,216 candidates who wrote the exams passed by securing aggregate 6 to 30.
Students who obtained aggregate 6 in the region were 247 made up of 110 boys and 137 girls .
Source : Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/Kojo Ansah
