Bring back school gardening, farms into system – Buipewura Jinapor II tells GES

Paramount Chief of Buipe Traditional area, Abdulai Jinapor II, has appealed to the Director General of Ghana Education Service (GES) to, as a matter of importance and good training among others, reintroduce gardening and farms in schools.

“When we were here (D/A block A Primary), gardening was one of the best things that we were doing. It helped us and the school. The whole town (Buipe) was producing a lot of vegetables, but today the school’s garden is no more there and there is a scarcity of vegetables in town,” he noted.

The Paramount Chief made the appeal during the commissioning of his alma mater, D/A Block A Primary School after its renovation in Buipe in the Central Gonja District of Savannah Region.

According to him, apart from the abundance of food and vegetables during the period, it also helped in the practical aspect.

“I’m pleading with Ghana Education Service through the District Directorate and teachers to at least start something again. Gardening helps mould children and without farms and food, we cannot survive as human beings.”

He said as much as the classroom is imparting “knowledge in these children, let’s also impart the other aspect of life into them.”

Buipewura Jinapor II also extended his appeal to residents of Buipe to add vegetable farming to their production to boost their economic growth and children’s education.

As one of the pioneers and senior prefects of D/A Block A Primary School, Abdulai Jinapor II said the renovation work on the school is just the beginning of more development.

Mr. Jinapor used the occasion to encourage the pupils to take their studies seriously and aspire to be great and achieve more than him (Buipewura Jinapor II) just as he did during his days in school.

Buipewura Abdulai Jinapor II also donated a first aid box with an amount of 2,000 cedis to acquire the medicines.

On her part, the Savannah Regional Director of Ghana Education Service, Hajia Natogma endorsed the appeal made by Buipewura, describing it as the right thing to do.

“Yes, I will support that it (school’s gardening and farms). It should be back and we are even encouraging some of the schools to do it. If they do it, some of the perishable items that are the fresh ones they can even use them to support the kids,” she stated.

Hajia Kutume said that such a laudable project will not interfere with the academic work of students.

“And that doesn’t mean that they are going to use the students’ contact hours to do that. Also, it will allow the students to see certain things practically. You talk of vegetables and they don’t even know it.
They know of the name but where do I get that type of vegetables? It might even help in their learning process. So, I’ll encourage that at least, every school should have a small garden, especially those in the rural areas”, the GES Director insisted.

Meanwhile, the Headmistress of D/A block A Primary School, Yakubu Abiba on behalf of the Parents Teachers Association, Old Students and Teachers, has extended her gratitude to the Chief and promised to put the facility into proper use so as to prepare the children” for life to contribute to the benefit of the community and the State at large.”

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