Torgbui Gobah-Tengey Seddoh, an Industrialist, has entreated stakeholders to step up efforts to address the declining standards of education in the Volta Region.

He described recent performances by basic schools in the Region as worrying, citing results of the 2013 Early Grade Reading Assessment which indicated that 98 per cent of pupils in the Basic Two level could not read and comprehend in the English Language.

“Since 2009, the performance of school children in the Basic Education Certificate Examinations has been decreasing. The average percentage pass of the Region fell from 48.8 in 2009 to 43.7 per cent in 2010. In 2012, only 11 out of the 27, 305 candidates who wrote the BECE obtained aggregate six,” he said.

Torgbui Seddoh, who is also an Educationist, said education had no substitute and it was up to stakeholders to work assiduously to address the fallen standards of education in Volta.

He was addressing a conference of the Voltarian Coordinating Council (VCC) in Kumasi at the weekend. The programme aimed at serving as a platform for people of Volta descent and based in the Ashanti and Brong-Ahafo Regions, to deliberate on issues affecting their overall development.

This encompasses education, health, youth employment, security, inter-tribal cohesion and infrastructural development.

Torgbui Seddoh lauded Togbe Mawufeame Fugah, President of the VCC, for his vision and sterling leadership qualities that had seen the organization grown rapidly over the years.

He advised the youth to avail themselves of programmes that tend to advance their socio-economic cause and refrain from vices.

Togbe Fugah commended the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, for his continuous support for the Voltarians, and assured that the VCC would be committed to peace at all times to engender social cohesion.

He urged members of the VCC to be disciplined for the growth of the Council.