Winneba, April 21, GNA - Girls education is declining in Ofanko area of the Central Region despite the appointment of a minister to ensure the growth of the girl-child education in the country. For the past four years, girls enrolment at schools in the area had

not been encouraging while their drop out rate is very alarming, even though the Awutu-Effutu-Senya District Directorate of education has been doing its best to bring the situation under control. Mr. Kow Ayamful, a assistant director of education at the district education office at Winneba and a supervisor at the Centre B of the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) at Winneba disclosed this to Professor Jophus Anamuah-Mensah, Vice Chancellor of the University of Education, Winneba, when he led a team of officials from the university to visit the children to give them moral support to do their examination on Wednesday.

Other members of the team were Prof. Jonas Akpanglo-Lartey, Pro. Vice Chancellor, Prof. Kwame Tuah and Prof. Sere Sobodie, both principals of the Mampong and Kumasi campuses respectively. The rest were Prof. Alien Dehser-Amissah, Dean of School of Research and Mr Philip Gerald, Dean of Faculty of Language. Mr. Ayamful told the team that this year, no girl from the Ofanko JSS was among the pupils taking the BECE examination currently going on. He said that most of the girls from Ofanko alleged that their parents do not take care of them therefore, they had to abandon school and enter into petty trading to make a living.

According to him the general conduct of the pupils and the examination were very good, adding that there were no malpractices. Meanwhile in a message of encouragement issued through the press to all 2004 BECE candidates, Prof. Anamuah-Mensah wished them good luck, adding , "this message is to strengthen you as you embark on the writing of your first public examination."