GES restores academic work in ‘Volta’ Dam spillage-affected places
The Ghana Education Service (GES) management has restored academic work in Akosombo Dam flood-affected areas in the Volta region by reopening 81 out of 108 schools affected by the Volta River Authority spillage in nine districts.
Dr Eric Nkansah, the Director-General of the Education Service speaking to journalists said his outfit in collaboration with stakeholders will later restore teaching and learning in the remaining 27 schools in the North Tongu District.
“We are also making good progress working with key stakeholders to restore teaching and learning in the remaining 27 schools within the North Tongu District, which, for the most part, are used as camps and Safe Havens by displaced households”.
Ultimately, the goal is to ensure that all schools affected by the floods resume teaching and learning activities within the shortest possible time,” the Ghana Education Service (GES) Director-General told the media in an interview.
Dr Eric Nkansah disclosed this to the media over the weekend after a three-day working visit to the nine districts affected by the spillage of the Akosombo dam by the Volta River Authority (VRA).
The restoration of the academic activities comes after the Minister for Education and other agencies of the Ministry visited the affected areas of the Akosombo spillage to assess and evaluate an emergency response to the disaster.
As part of Dr Nkansah’s working visit to the Volta Region, he met with stakeholders in the hardest hit areas including the traditional leaders of the Mepe Traditional Area; the Fieve Traditional Area; the DCE for North Tongu, Mr Divine Osborne Fenu; the MP for North Tongu, Mr Okudjeto Ablakwa; and the North Tongu District Director of Education, Mrs Isabella Ayimey.
He also met with Volta Regional Minister, Dr Yao Archibald Letsa, visited staff at the Volta Regional Education Office, and held an Open Forum with staff from the Regional Education Directorate, District Directors from the Volta Region, and other education stakeholders in the Volta Region including members from CODE, COMEU, COHBS, among others.
They discussed among other things the implementation of the ongoing Ghana Education Service (GES) Education in Emergency Plan, evaluated progress made so far and identified grey areas for further action.
Approximately 22,000 children and 1,288 teachers according to the Ghana Education Service (GES) were affected by the Volta River Authority (VRA) dam spillage in eight (8) Volta districts.
According to a local media report, more than 30 communities in the Volta Region have been severely affected by the dam spillage, resulting in submerged houses, disrupted electricity supply, and widespread hunger.