The Volta Regional Education Director Madam Enyonam Afi Amafuga, has called for the continuous intensification of the Ghana Learning Radio Programme (GRLP).
She called on the Education Directors and Public Relations Officers of the Ghana Education Service (GES) in the country to continue to intensify the programme, during a meeting of Regional, Municipal and District Directors, PROs of the GES from Volta, Oti and Eastern Regions at the launch of Ghanaian Languages of Instruction (GLOI) in Ho, saying that, it was important that every child benefited from it.
She further explained that, the intensification, will serve as a sensitization drive for parents and caregivers to tune in to stations which broadcast the programme to enable children make the most out of their stay at home during this COVID-19 period.
The Education Director, further called on the traditional authorities, opinion leaders and other relevant stakeholders across the country, to continue playing their roles and offered the necessary support for a successful implementation of the GLRP.
“I am convinced that if we collectively labour to strategically and consistently deploy available local resources while sharing experiences and best practices, the Ghana Learning Radio Programme will be a great success.”
She then commended the USAID for their support and media houses broadcasting the programme, urging them to continue and implored the rest to also come on board to support the programme so more children could be reached and benefit from the program.
Also speaking at the meeting, with regards to the GLOI, Project Management Specialist for USAID, Mr Paul Napari, advised Directors of Education to cooperate with traditional authorities in the discharge of their duties so they could deliver effectively and enhance quality education.
He then commended them for their supportive role in the implementation of the programme and further urged them not to undermine their little contribution but continue to carry out their duties as “education is the only surest way to holistic development in every given situation.”
Paramount Chief of Ziavi Traditional Area, Togbe Koku Ayim IV, who launched the programme commended the Ministry of Education, Ghana Education Service and the USAID for initiating the programme to help children continue with their studies in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He described the programme as timely because it served as a base of continuous learning and aimed to inculcate a habit and interest of reading in children, calling on all to support it.
Togbe Koku Ayim then implored parents and caregivers to help children develop interest in reading, adding that, reading is a habit which should be developed and sustained for life because its benefits cannot be overemphasized.
Developed in response to the closure of over 25,000 primary schools nationwide due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, the Ghana Learning Radio Programme was initiated through a partnership between Ministry of Education and the U.S. government through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to design a national radio program in reading.
The aim of the radio program was to engage parents, caregivers, and students through daily broadcasts to support and improve reading among Ghana’s primary school age students and also provide distance learning instruction in English and the 11 official Ghanaian languages of instruction for Kindergarten Two through to fourth grade students.
