Managing Plan Implementation in the Asante Akyem South District Assembly: Capacity Issues and Challenges

After years of implementation of the new decentralised planning system in Ghana, problems of plan implementation still persist. This paper uses a case study approach to appraise the capacity of the Asante Akyem South District Assembly (AASDA) in managing the implementation of its development plans. Using questionnaires and Organisational Capacity Assessment Tool (OCAT), the paper examines the capacity of the district assembly to implement its plans in six areas. The extent of implementation of a medium term development plan (2002-2005) was also reviewed. Finally the paper draws on the capacity situation of the district assembly and concludes that the assembly requires capacity upgrading to leverage its full potential in grassroots development.Keywords: Capacity, Plan Implementation, Management, District Assemblie

Pedagogic foundation of art education in Ghana

This paper is one of the discourses to holistically evaluate university art education curriculum in Ghana. The faculty of any course is responsible for setting the climate or tone for the dissemination of information. This is at times compounded by advancement in the technology used in the teaching and learning process. The problem of this study was to investigate the pedagogical underpinnings of art education in Ghana against the 21st century teaching and learning skills requirements. This exploratory research utilized both qualitative and quantitative methods. Findings indicated that majority of the respondents agreed that the faculty used variety of teaching methods and again, faculty employs technology to their advantage in making sure that students understand the concepts they impart and by the appropriate means available. Currently there is little mix in the Department of Art Education as most of the members of faculty are on the lecturer level. Keywords: pedagogy, art, education, evaluation and 21st century skill

Facilitating Inclusive Education in Ghana Through Art Education

The focus on the education of persons with special educational needs all over the world is shifting from special and segregated education to an inclusive education. This is to ensure equal access to education for all children. However, the goal of providing quality inclusive education in Ghana would remain elusive so long as the concept of inclusion is not linked to broader dimensions on curricular modifications and pedagogy for effective participation of all children in the learning experiences provided in the classrooms. The aim of this study is to facilitate inclusion through art education. This exploratory research utilised a semi-structured interview, extensive classroom observation, documentary review, and practical activities to gather data. The population for the study included head teachers, teachers and pupils in four schools which were targeted to have embarked on inclusive education in the Effutu Municipality in the Central Region of Ghana by the Special Education Division (SpED) of the Ministry of Education in 2003. Purposive sampling technique was adopted in selecting the 24 subjects for the study. The study revealed that Art could be used as catalyse in the implementation of Inclusive Education (IE) and also young people without disabilities became advocates of the rights of persons with disabilities for inclusive settings. It is recommended that teachers of art would benefit from in-service training that specifically addresses art education for students with special needs in inclusive settings. Keywords: art education, arts, inclusive education, special educatio

A Comparative Study of History, Equipment, Materials, Techniques and Marketing Approach of Traditional Weaving in Ghana

Strip weaving in Ghana has been an art in transition and has been handed over from generation to generation, since its inception. This weaving tradition has gained popularity in renowned communities situated in the Volta, Ashanti and Northern Regions of Ghana which have varied ideologies pertaining to the origination, production and marketing of the final product. This paper seeks to identify the various communities and hence, compare their history, design techniques, materials, equipment and their marketing structures. Relevant data for the study were solicited using interview and observation tools from chiefs, opinion leaders, weavers and traders in selected weaving communities in the Volta, Ashanti and Northern regions of Ghana. The outcomes of this study revealed that traditional weaving, as practiced by the various communities has unique features which identifies the crafts of the communities and contributes immensely to the cultural, political and socio-economic development in Ghana. This study also contributes to the tourism awareness creation discussions; with regard to identifying the major weaving communities in Ghana, their history, approaches to weaving and merchandising. Keywords: Traditional weaving, Comparative study, Strip weaving, Kente, Kete, Loo

Optimizing Lumber Production through Improved Accuracy of Side Clearance of Bandsaw Teeth and Quality Control Measures

As log costs increases as a result of increasing demand for wood products with a corresponding poor management of forest resource it has become more critical to obtain the maximum yield of useful product from each tree in order to sustain the wood industry. This work looks at the effect of the accuracy of side clearance of band saw teeth on the surface quality of sawn lumber as well as the level of adherence to quality standards when sawing Triplochiton scleroxylon (Wawa). The results obtained from the relationship between the accuracy of side clearance of band saw teeth and surface quality of sawn lumber indicates that there is a strong linear relationship between the two parameters. That is as the standard deviation of the side clearance of the band saw teeth decreases the surface quality of the sawn lumber becomes better. The correlation coefficient and coefficient of determination values for the two variables, that is, the accuracy of side clearance of the band saw teeth and the surface quality of the sawn lumber were -0.9042 and 0.8176 respectively. These values show that about 82% of the variations of the surface quality of the sawn lumber is influenced by the standard deviation of the side clearance of the band saw teeth. A graph of the relationship between the surface quality of the sawn lumber and standard deviation shows that on the average when the standard deviation of the side clearance of the band saw teeth is 0.225mm or low the surface quality of the sawn lumber produced could be qualitatively classified as good, very good or excellent. The result also indicated that the surface quality of the sawn lumber was excellent when the standard deviation of the side clearance of the band saw teeth was 0.07mm or low and was poor or very poor when the standard deviation of the side clearance was 0.252mm or more. A statistical control chart of sampled boards from the production process of the mill used for the study indicated that the mean thickness of the sawn boards was 42.42mm. The upper and lower control limits at 1.65 standard deviation were 44.08mm and 40.76mm respectively. The result indicates that about 15% of the total boards sampled were outside the control limits of the chart. The mean thickness of the sawn lumber at the mill for the study was 42.42mm as against nominal thickness of 41.00mm. This will result in a loss of about 3.46% timber for every board sawn and a subsequent loss of about 3.46m3 for every 100m3 of sawn lumber produced. African Journal of Educational Studies in Mathematics and Sciences Vol. 5 2007: pp. 1-

Boron levels in soils cropped to coffee and their relationships to some soil properties in Ghana

Studies on boron levels in soils cropped to coffee were carried out in Ghana due to widespread reports on boron deficiency in soils of some coffee producing countries. Leaves and soils were sampled from Cocobod coffeeplantations at Bogoso, Suhuma, Manso-Mim, Bunso and Bepong, which represent the main coffee growing areas in the Western, Ashanti and Eastern regions of Ghana. Also determined were percent OC and Ca, pH, texture and statistical relationships established for both leaf and soil boron contents and the soil properties. The results showed that availableB in the 0-30 cm depth ranged from 0.77 to 1.54 mg B kg-1 soil. Surface soil pH values ranged from 5.4 to 6.8 and the subsurface soil from 5.1 to 6.7. Leaf B was between 28.7 and 42.5 mg B kg-1. The leaf Ca/B ratio used as index of B deficiency was between 331.4 and 398.8; values high enough to suggest that boron was low compared to Ca concentrations in the leaves, a condition which implies that available B in the soils was below the levels required to support coffee plants. All locations of sampling indicated that there was positive correlation between percent OC,calcium and available B in the surface soils. Similarly, the relationship between percent clay, calcium and available B in the subsurface soils was positively correlated. Soil available B at 0–30 cm depth was highly influenced by percent OC and pH. Coffee leaf B content and soil pH was negatively correlated at pH above 5.8, but was positive when the pHwas below 5.8. Boron levels in the coffee leaves were within the critical range of 2–40 mg B kg-1 although soil available B appeared low

Rupture of sinus of valsalva aneurysm: Case report

Sinus of Valsalva aneurysms are uncommon. Aortic sinus aneurysm may be complicated by endocarditis or rupture. A 26 year old native Ghanaian presented with dyspnoea, raised jugular venous pressure (JVP), tender hepatomegaly, peripheral oedema, a thrill and a continuous murmur at the upper left sternal edge. Two-dimensional doppler echocardiography with colour flow mapping revealed a large aneurysm of the right sinus of Valsalva (4cm diameter) that abutted the right ventricular out-flow tract with distortion of the pulmonary valve. Colour flow revealed left to right shunting of blood from the aortic root into the right atrium. A year later he presented with a febrile illness, weight loss, night sweats and wasdiagnosed as having culture negative infective endocarditis. Following a course of antibiotics, he underwent successful cardiopulmonary bypass surgery with repair of the ruptured aneurysm of the right sinus of Valsalva

The Measurement and Determinants of Economic Efficiency of Microfinance Institutions in Ghana: A Stochastic Frontier Approach

Microfinance institutions have become central players in socio-economic development especially in developing countries. This paper investigates empirically the economic efficiency of microfinance institutions in Ghana using a Cobb-Douglas Stochastic frontier model. A total of 135 MFIs were sampled for the period from 2007-2010. The underpinning assumption is that there is a possibility for economies of scale in lending if only firms improve strategies of mobilizing savings and provide good quality service to their clients. The estimated results showed an overall average economic efficiency of 56.29%; indicating a high degree of inefficiency in the economic behaviour of the units in the industry. The study further exposed that age and savings indicators of outreach and productivity, and cost per borrower were significant determinants of economic efficiency. It is therefore recommended that practitioners improve upon technical training programmes, operate diversified savings products to improve on portfolio quality and ensure sustainability; and also heighten the extent of social commitment to both staff and client

Relative efficacy of cocoa pod husk-based compost on growth and nutrient uptake of cocoa seedlings in the nursery

The effect of cocoa pod husk-based compost on growth and nutrient uptake of cocoa seedlings was compared with conventional NPK 15-15-15 fertilizer at the nursery in a randomized complete block design experiment. Poly bags were filled with either top soil or compost alone, and also with mixtures of top soil, compost and inorganic fertilizer in various ratios to provide the following treatments: soil alone, compost alone, 1 : 1 soil/compost, soil + fertilizer, 1 : 1 soil/compost + fertilizer, 1 : 2 soil/compost, 1 : 2 soil/compost + fertilizer, 2 : 1 soil/compost, 2 : 1 soil/compost + fertilizer. The fertilizer was added at the rate of 6 g per poly bag. Plant height, girth, leaf area, dry matter yield, and root volume of cocoa seedlings were significantly (P<0.05) affected by the potting media at 24 weeks after sowing. Potting media with the fertilizer additions significantly (P<0.05) produced shorter seedlings with smaller stems and narrower leaves. Root volumes and total dry matter yield of seedlings positively correlated (r = 0.733), and were significantly (P<0.05) higher in soil/compost mixtures than in treatments with fertilizer additions. Irrespective of the potting media, the uptake of N by the seedlings was higher than P and K. However, the addition of fertilizer to the potting media with compost resulted in lower N uptake by the seedlings. The use of compost developed from cocoa pod husk as potting medium or soil amendment for nursing cocoa seedlings enhanced better seedling growth than when used in combination with NPK 15-15-15 fertilizer

Impact of shade and cocoa plant densities on soil organic carbon sequestration rates in a cocoa growing soil of Ghana

Cropping systems have influence on the conservation of soil organic matter. Soil samples were taken from a long term experiment that was designed to study the impact of shade and cocoa plant densities on cocoa yields. The impact of the treatments on soil organic carbon sequestration rates and the gains or losses of soil organic carbon under the treatments with reference to adjacent undisturbed bush were assessed. The experiment was sited at the Bunso substation of the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana on Rhodi-lixic ferralsol with annual precipitation of about 1500 mm. The shade was provided by forest trees of 18 trees ha-1 and no shade, while the cocoa densities were 1111, 1428 and 1667 trees ha-1. Shade effects on organic carbon pools within the top soil (0-30 cm) under cocoa were not significant (p=0.05). Cocoa plant densities per unit area influenced the soil organic carbon pools. The soil organic carbon pools were significantly lower (p=0.05) in the closely planted farms than in the widely spaced farms. There were no soil organic carbon sequestration in the highest cocoa plant density of 1667 trees ha-1 but 250 and 190 kg soil organic carbon ha-1 yr-1 in the top soil (0-15 cm) were sequestered in the soils under cocoa with density of 1111 trees ha-1 for shaded and unshaded farms respectively. Irrespective of the shade conditions, the net gains of carbon in the soils were higher in farms with lower cocoa plant density. The results suggest that cocoa planted at low plant density under shade stores more carbon per unit area of soil than an equivalent area of cocoa planted at high density without shade. It is concluded that cocoa farming could be an effective means to mitigate carbon dioxide emissions in cocoa growing countries.Key words: Soil organic carbon, sequestration rates, cocoa plant density, shade