Agona-Nkwanta (W/R) March 26, GNA- Mr. Kwesi Biney, Ahanta West District Chief Executive, on Friday announced that the government has released 17 billion cedis for the upgrading of the Nana Baidoe Bonso Senior Secondary School (SSS) at Agona-Nkwanta.

He was speaking at a durbar to climax this year's district Girls' Education Week at Agona-Nkwanta.

Mr. Biney said the government and the district assembly are polling resources to provide infrastructure and improve the quality of education in the district.

He observed that many parents withdraw their wards especially girls from school on grounds of poverty and engage them in petty trading and farming at the disadvantage of the children.

He was happy that the week was being celebrated to draw the attention of parents to the effects that practice.

Mr. Ekow Jonfiah, Member of Parliament for Agona-Nkwanta, called on stakeholders in education to join hands to arrest the falling standard of education in the area.

He urged teachers to give out their best with the right knowledge to pupils.

He advised school children to study hard and stay in school in order to take advantage of the government's various educational programmes. He said a district education fund has been established to offer scholarships particularly to brilliant Junior Secondary School students who have passed the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) but needed assistance to continue their education.

Mr. Jonfiah said libraries are to be constructed at Agona-Nkwanta and Apowa to encourage children to read during leisure time. Miss Rosemond Blay, District Director of Education, said the aim of the directorate is to increase school attendance of girls at the basic level by 75 percent and at the Senior Secondary School (SSS) level by 60 percent by the year 2005.

She said enrolment figures for the first term of 2003/2004 academic year, there are 52 percent boys and 47.8 percent girls in basic schools while there are 84.7 percent boys and 15.3 percent girls at the SSS level.

Later, Mr. Biney presented a set of school uniforms and books to needy 50 pupils on behalf of the Ghana Education Service (GES). 26 March 04