The Shai Osudoku District Education Directorate on Wednesday organised reading festival for basic schools at Dodowa, in the Greater Accra Region.
The contest, which was collaboration between United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Ghana Education Service (GES), sought to promote reading culture among learners in the lower primary.
It was to also stimulate the interest of parents, guardians and the community in the reading of both Ghanaian Languages and English.
The festival, themed “Read to Learn, Learn to Read”, was to select the best performing circuit to represent the district at the regional level.
The activities undertaken by the pupils included spelling Bee in English and Ghanaian Language, reading competition in English and Ghanaian Language, word formation, mother and child, pick and act.
Others were listening to sample radio lesson, singing of songs and chants, demonstration of Dialogues/ conversation, charades and role play.
Pupils of the Dodowa East circuit won the contest with 230.3 points, while Dodowa West circuit won the second position with 229.6 points.
Participating schools came from Tokpo, Asutsuare Junction, Volivo, Doryumu and Asutsuare circuits.
It attracted stakeholders including traditional authorities, religious leaders, Parents Teachers Association, School Management Committee and educational authorities.
The District Director of Education, Ms Harriet Lomotey, said the programme was to complement the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service’s effort to improve performance in the country’s public schools.
She indicated that the project since 2014 has implemented programmes such as T2E plus Programme, the national reading radio programmes, and other interventions, all aimed at improving reading skills at the foundation level.
Ms Lomotey commended the schools for winning the contest at local level, which enabled them to progress to the circuit level.
She urged the winners and their teachers to step up efforts to win at the regional and the national competitions.
The Asafoatse of Osudoku Lenordjie-Apetetsi of Dodowa, Tetteh Huadji VI, urged parents to support the education of their children.
According to him, parents in private schools were forced to buy educational materials for their children, but parents of children in public-schools have refused to buy educational materials because of free education.
Nene Huadji said this trend had resulted in poor academic performance of pupils at the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).
He said that, “educating a child must be a shared responsible between the state and the society”.
Nene Huadji commended USAID, Indomie, Member of Parliament (MP), Ms Linda Ocloo, the District Chief Executive and the Ghanatta Senior High School for supporting the event.
FROM LAWRENCE VOMAFA-AKPALU, DODOWA