Stop stereotyping some professions as preserve of women- Veep

Odumase-Krobo (E/R), Feb. 13, GNA - The Vice-President, Mr John Draman= i Mahama, has called on parents to stop the stereotyping of some professions as a preserve for women and as such, end up shepherding their daughters int= o those occupations.

He said women were not born to be secretaries to male bosses, nurses t= o support male doctors or air hostesses to serve in aircraft piloted by males= , but also has the capacity to become bosses of business establishments, medical doctors and pilots of airplanes.

Mr Mahama was speaking at the 84th Speech and Prize Giving and Founder= s Day of Krobo Girls Presbyterian Senior High School (SHS) at Odumase 96Krob= o on Saturday. He said government believes that the acceleration of the country's economic growth hinges on the development of the human capital of the natio= n hence it had increased the budgetary allocation in education and the GETFund.

The Vice President said gradually, the government is fulfilling its electoral promises and cited many examples, including the 85 per cent coverage in the provision of free school uniforms and expressed the hope that government would achieve the 100 per cent by the end of March, this year.

He said the country has 4500 schools under trees as at 2008, and that last year, the government was able to construct 1,000 school buildings, under its programme to eliminate schools under trees in the country. Mr Mahama said this year, government would construct an additional 1,500 schools and in 2012 construct the remaining 2000 schools, to stop the attendance of school under trees, where the schools close when it rains. He said the Krobo Girls SHS has also benefited from the many educational infrastructure, which the government is undertaking in the country, including the completion of the 21 unit classroom block and the headmistress bungalow of the school.

Professor Akosua Anyidoho, Director of New York University in Ghana, and old student, who was the guest speaker, called for an end to the sexual harassment of school girls by their male teachers in the country. He said the situation is appalling and needs to be stopped and appeale= d to male teachers in the country 93to be discipline and give the school gir= ls a chance". Professor Anyidoho said teachers accused of sexual harassment are not to be tolerated in the classroom and said the current situation, where such teachers are transferred to other schools is not acceptable. She called on religious organizations, civil society groups and other organized groups to join in the crusade against sexual harassment in school= , in the country.

The headmistress of the school, Ms Cecilia Obenewa Appiah, appealed fo= r the construction of a wall around the school and the provision of a large water tank to help solve the water problem facing the school. She also called for the provision of more accommodation for both students and staff of the school.

Deserving students and staff of the school were later presented with prizes and awards. 13 Feb. 11

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