Regional News of Thursday, 2 September 2004

Source: GNA

Byelaws on streetism soon at Nkoranza District

Nkoranza (B/A), Sept 2, GNA - Nkoranza District Assembly would soon enact byelaws to check streetism among children of school-going age to get them enrolled in schools.

Mr Kwame Ampofo-Twumasi, District Chief Executive, said this at the second session meeting of the Assembly at Nkoranza. He said the World Bank and the Government had arranged to bear the school fees of all pupils and students of basic schools in the District for five years.

Forty deprived districts nationwide are enjoying the education programme known as the Pilot Programmatic Scheme (PPS), and Nkoranza is one of them.

Mr Ampofo-Twumasi said the byelaws would empower the Assembly to arrest children, who roam about during school hours. The parents of such children would also be arrested and possibly charged for child neglect. The DCE called on the Assembly members to inform their people about the programme as well as the assembly's plans and ensure that parents enrolled and retained their children in school.

He appealed to teachers in the District to redouble their efforts to help improve the performance of students to reciprocate the good gesture of the World Bank and the Government.

Mr Kwabena Agyeman-Badu, District Director of Education, said under the PPS the Education Directorate had arranged a number of programmes to help raise the standard of education in the District.

School uniforms would be provided to needy students as well as a printing machine to print examination materials and water tanks for the schools. Supervision of schools would be intensified.