The issue of pupils lying on their stomachs to write due to lack of furniture is a thing of the past now, as primary two(p2) classes of five schools in five communities in the Kumbungu district were provided with Trio metal desks and chairs by Literacy and Development through Partnership (LDP).
The recipient five schools are Yipielinaayili, Kaanfiehiyili, Mbanaayili, Jizaa Gundaa and Bihinaayili. Prior to this, the pupils laid on their bellies to write, a situation LDP feels is unacceptable and pitiful.
BEFORE
Literacy and Development through Partnership is an NGO in education working in six districts in the north- Kumbungu, Tolon, Karaga, Mion, Yendi and Tamale Metro. Its mandate in mother tongue education is at the foundational stage of school children, from P1 to 3. They put into implementation National Policy that says all children at the lower basic level should be taught using the mother tongue of the child and not through a language the child does not yet understand. Mother tongue education, Dagbani in our case is critical in the laying of a foundation which determines how far the child will grow in terms of the overall development of the child and not only his/her ability to read and write.
This has been found to be very successful, because children as young as five can read and write Dagbani fluently and legibly. Speaking to Zaa News a literacy Consultant and donor manager for LDP, Joke Yakubu stated that LDP provides capacity building training for not only volunteer teachers but government teachers to do effective teaching of Dagbani, adding they also provide learning materials to children in the designated schools every school term to ease the burden on parents.
Presenting the furniture the Programs Manager of LDP, Mr. Elihu Wumbei Abdulai on behalf of LDP handed over the chairs to the assistant director in charge of supervision, GES- Kumbungu, Mr. Napari Salifu who in turn handed them to the headmaster of the school who further handed them to the PTA and SMC chairmen of the communities. Mr Abdulai on his part stated that it is their hope that children in the region build their self-confidence in the local language, but called on parents and other organizations to come on board.
NOW
The government he says cannot handle the burden alone. He further advised that the furniture be put to good use. Speaking to Zaa News, the headmaster of Yipielinaayili D/A primary school Yaasisu Zakaria thanked LDP for the gesture and called for support from parents.
The children who could not hide their excitement sang at the top of their voices as a way of showing appreciation to LDP for the support.
BY: LILIAN D. WALTER
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