Accra, April 14, GNA - Four communities within the Accra Metropolitan Area (AMA) and Tema have been selected to participate in a new system of education, the Open College concept, to provide and broaden educational facilities for school drop-outs.

The areas selected are Bukom, Fadama, Kawokudi and Teshie. This was announced by Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Minister of Education, Youth and Sports in Accra on Wednesday when he accompanied Professor Alfredo A. Johnson, President of Educational Resources International Incorporated based in Harrisburg, Pennyslavania in the USA to call on President John Agyekum Kufuor at the Castle, Osu.

Mr Baah-Wiredu said the concept was an opportunity for school dropouts at any level of education to have access to formal education and to improve on their standard of living.

He said the next areas to be tackled were the mining communities. President Kufuor said school drop-outs, when provided with the needed support could become literate and well-educated to contribute their quota to national development.

"This is an idea that we should adopt and improve upon, to help improve the quality of lives among the people, especially school drop-outs", he said.

President Kufuor pledged government's support to ensure the concept succeeds in Ghana.

Professor Johnson said there were no residents on campus but an open access to education within any particular community to build the workforce and expand educational opportunity.

She said the initial target group in Ghana would be children who could not continue their education after the basic level and they would be provided with comprehensive educational programme, practical education and make them employable.