DO commends Mayor for donating to school

“I want to thank the Mayor of the Tiko Council for his decision to offer didactic materials to schools on their reopening. Some mayors usually delay until when schools are almost going on holidays before they hand over their packages.”

These were the words of the DO of the Tiko Subdivision, Patrick Che, praising the Mayor of Tiko, Daniel Mokoundo, on September 24.

The DO was speaking during the handing over of didactic materials to be used by teachers in this school year in some 31 Government primary schools within the Tiko Municipality.

The materials consisted of boxes of chalk, pencils, pens, ledgers, among other teaching aids; items for schools’ medical first-aid boxes, sporting equipment. All the items were valued at some FCFA 5.575 million.

Following the new decentralisation order, the Ministry of Basic Education, at the beginning of every school year, allocates finances to the various municipal councils to buy and hand over these basic teaching aids to be used, exclusively, by teachers in the Government primary schools.

Observing that the minimum package is meant only for Government primary schools, the DO urged the Mayor to always allocate a little money, too, for the benefit of the children in the lay private schools, if his Council’s means permit.

It was observed in questions from the press that FCFA 5.575 million was too small to buy enough of such materials for 31 schools, but Mayor Mokoundo responded that the money was just the amount provided by the Ministry of Basic Education and, given that the demands of the schools concerned were many, they had to focus “on the priority needs of the schools.”

About the lay private schools, he said his Council already had a partnership programme with the FATE NGO which, through it, most of the needy kids will be assisted.

The Inspector of Basic Education for Tiko expressed joy stating that the materials will go a long way to enable teachers to teach without stress. She added that the materials were a precursor to a better performance by her schools, given that they scored 99.9 percent in their last years exams.