Mr Francis Xavier Sosu, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Madina, has urged teachers and students to put up their best in academic endeavours to merit award and scholarship scheme set up by his office. He said teachers continued to remain essential change agents in society for which reason his outfit would not relent in providing packages to motivate them. Mr Sosu gave the advice in an address when the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) of the Madina SDA Basic School presented 158 desks and 23 dustbins to the school. He announced that in the first quarter of next year, the second edition of his Best Teacher Award scheme would be staged with the best teacher receiving a brand-new car again and encouraged the teachers to continue to give their best to ensure that the municipality was rated high in the scheme of things. The MP advised the students to commit to their books to ensure they come out with flying colours, adding that whether they have the means or not they could pursue higher education once they pa ss successfully. Outlining some projects to be undertaken in schools in the municipality, Mr Sosu mentioned the 'Water for All Project,' which is intended to supply potable water to all 54 basic schools in the municipality including Senior High Schools and tertiary institutions. He said: 'Every basic school would have the opportunity to benefit from a mechanized borehole with support from partners. So far, we have constructed ten of these boreholes and we will be constructing more come next year.' Mr Sosu said quality education was a collective responsibility of all stakeholders, adding that the Free Senior High School was a good policy. Still, the major concern was its implementation approach. 'You cannot largely focus on the Free SHS when the basic schools are under-resourced, that is why we have called on the government to pay equal attention to basic schools,' he said. He expressed gratitude to the PTA for their foresight to partner with the government and other stakeholders to address deficits in th e school's operation. Mr Isaac Addo, the PTA Chairman, said the Association was currently embarking on a wide range of refurbishment activities of the school such as painting and plastering, including expansion works. He said the presentation of the desks was because of the dedication and hard work of parents, teachers and the entire school community. Mr Addo stated: 'We understand the importance of having the right tools and resources to support our students' education, and these desks will certainly make a significant impact on their daily learning experience.' 'As we celebrate the presentation of these desks, let us take a moment to also reflect on the many other resources that will enhance our students learning such as a new classroom block to replace the wooden structure staring right into faces each time we enter the school, ceiling fans for our classrooms, a playground for our children in nursery and KG among other things,' he said. Mr Keane Appiah, the Municipal Education Director, said the PTA w as a major stakeholder in the quest to address gaps in educational development and called for a sustained effort in this direction. He said if such cooperation and gestures were maintained, the school would go a long way in achieving its objectives. Pastor Obed Kwabena Obeng, the Local Manager of the school, commended the PTA for the continuous cooperation in the common effort to address challenges that confronted the school. He said the SDA church would continue to place a high premium on holistic education, so it would continue to consciously invest in preparing students for responsible adult life. Mr Michael MacDonald Asare, the Assembly Member for Madina Social Welfare South and an old student, expressed the hope that the gesture of the PTA would address the disturbing challenge of some students who shared desks and applauded the MP for his constant response to school activities. Source: Ghana News Agency