Tumu, (UWR), July 8, GNA- The Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, on Saturday expressed dissatisfaction that girl-child education was being neglected in the Upper West, Upper East and Northern regions (the three Northern Regions).

He noted that some parents, especially those in the rural communities sent boys to school at the expense of girls, who were at many instances given out for marriage at early ages. Alhaji Mahama was speaking on the theme: "Ghana at 50: Gender parity in education, the challenges in Northern Ghana," at the 3rd Speech and Prize Giving Day of the Kanton Secondary School in Tumu in the East Sissala District of the Upper West.

He said the theme for the occasion was appropriate, as mainstreaming gender issues had become the foundation for the overall national development efforts.

Alhaji Mahama said some boys too suffered such neglect with some of them being withdrawn from school to serve as farm hands or shepherds. Vice President Mahama noted that these developments had cumulatively resulted in low educational development of children in the three Northern Regions.

He said these also explained the high female illiteracy rate, high dependency rate and high poverty levels which led to the general underdevelopment of the Northern part of the country in particular and the country as a whole.

Alhaji Mahama, who was special guest of honour, said this situation had been of grave concerned to the Government and urged the people to take advantage of the Government's educational interventions such as the Capitation Grant and the School Feeding Programme and send their children to school.

The Vice President appealed to district assemblies and community members to support non-governmental organisations working in the area of education to promote girl-child education, saying it was the collective responsibility of all to ensure the development of the girl-child.

Alhaji Aliu Mahama urged students to remain disciplined at all times and use appropriate methods to address their grievances. He also appealed to school authorities to open channels of communication to enable students to express their views on issues affecting their development to help minimise confusion and strikes. Alhaji Mahama said these would ensure the achievement of higher academic laurels towards the attainment of sound human resources base for the country.

He commended the school for achieving 100 per cent pass at the Senior Secondary School Certification Examinations for the past two years, rising from the 151st position in 2003 to 118th position, in 2005, according to the West African Senior Secondary School Examinations rating.

Alhaji Mahama urged the school authorities and students to continue working hard to improve upon their modest achievements. Mr. Ampafo Twumasi, Deputy Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, called on parents to complement the efforts of government and school authorities to enhance academic performance.

He urged teachers to assist in ensuring a smooth implementation of the New Educational Reforms, which would start in September 1, this year.

Mr. Twumasi commended contractors working on the projects at the Secondary School, which was a model school, but lamented that some contractors had disappointed the Ministry in the execution of projects. Mr. Johnson Saborh Suglo, headmaster of Kanton Secondary School, called on government to provide adequate accommodation for the teaching staff and more classrooms for students and a reliable means of transport.