Front view of the new dormitory
By Mudasiru Abdul Yakeen, Koforidua
The Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) has handed over a well-furnished, ultramodern two-storey dormitory block to the Koforidua Technical Institute (Kotech).
The project, which was part of government’s initiatives under the Schools under Trees and Emergency Intervention Programme (SUTEmIP), was executed by Rotamac Real Estate Limited over a period of one year.
The building consists of 10 dormitory rooms, two common rooms, two teachers’ apartments, 18-unit WC washrooms, an ironing room and a bathroom that can contain large number of students.
Other facilities within the block are an upfront of 200 beds and mattresses and a big lying compound.
The company that executed the contract will still be partly responsible for the handling of the facility for the next six months, as part of defect liability period. The facility will be re-inspected by Rotamac to ensure there are no challenges after the six-month period.
Timely intervention
The principal of the school, Theophilus Robert Nunoo, thanked the government for the timely support, saying the building is going to help ease the current congestion in the school. This has compelled some boarding students to be housed in classroom blocks.
He patted the government on the back for the introduction of the Free SHS policy. He stated that despite the congestion, the policy has helped to increase access to secondary education in the country, adding that the current population of the school has increased drastically, giving equal opportunities to both the rich and the poor.
The Eastern Regional Minster, Eric Kwakye Daffour, encouraged parents to enroll their wards to secondary schools, saying there are no financial constraints to deter parents or their wards. He disclosed that there are 100 educational projects under way in the Eastern Region, aimed at bolstering the education system in the country.
TVET important
The Regional Minister added that technical and vocational education training (TVET) is equally important to the development of the country.
He said it is about time the country focused more on TVET to produce more “technical people” for the development of the country.
“It is needless and disheartening to see Ghanaians employ technical people such as electricians and mason from other countries, when we can equally give more attention to our TVET schools in the country to produce several qualities in that sector,” he said.
