The beneficiary schools are Lolobi-Kumasi Roman Catholic (RC) Basic and Junior High schools (JHS), Lolobi Ashiambi Basic and JHS, Lolobi Huasem Basic School all in the Guan District and Baika Basic School in the Jasikan Munic­ipality.

Presenting the furniture to the schools at Lolobi-Kumasi, the Executive Director of The African Challenge, Mr John Adza, said his organisation’s objective was to promote quality education in the country, which made the personnel of the African Challenge to tour schools in the Guan District and the Jasikan Municipality to identify schools for assistance.

Mr Adza explained that during the tour of the schools, the NGO came across the situation where some schools did not have class­room furniture and pupils and students sat on the floor during contact hours, and wrote on their laps, a development which com­pelled The African Challenge to inform its partner, the Australian Embassy for financial support which was used in purchasing the furniture for the schools.

He said it was observed during the tour that much attention was not given to basic education particularly in the remote areas, and appealed to the government to pay considerable attention to basic education in order to provide a strong foundation for the Free Senior High School (FSHS), which had proved to be result -oriented over the years.

This, he stressed would provide equal opportunity for all children to develop their talents, saying it became evident that JHS had only 45 per cent of teaching and learning materials, particularly in the remote areas, mainly text books for the new curriculum, thereby compelling teachers and students to rely on outdated materials.

Mr Adza said it was important to make basic education more attrac­tive for both pupils and teachers to teach and learn, and assured that his organisation in collaboration with the Australian Embassy would continue to support education at the basic level to make it more attractive for children to be in school.

Receiving the items, the Head teacher of Lolobi-Kumasi R.C Primary School, Mr Forster Udzu thanked The African Challenge for the gesture, which he said would serve its intended purpose because pupils without chairs and tables would comfortably enjoy their contact hours.

Mr Udzu assured that the school authorities would maintain the fur­niture to prolong its lifespan, and to derive maximum benefit from it.