Akim Takyiman, May 11, GNA - The Kwaebibirem District Assembly is sponsoring 85 girls in teacher training colleges with 13 girls and a boy in Nursing Training.

Mr Yaw Yiadom-Boakye, District Chief Executive (DCE) said this at the launching of a girl-child education week at Akim Takyiman on Tuesday organised by the Girls Education Unit of the Kwaebibirem District office of the Ghana Education Service (GES).

He said the Assembly had been providing financial assistance to needy but brilliant pupils in the district and girls in basic, senior secondary schools as well as nursing and teacher training colleges since 2002.

The DCE said the Assembly spent 20 million cedis on girl-child education that year while 30 million cedis was spent on females in 2003. Mr Yiadom-Boakye said the Assembly's initiative was in response to the government's policy of promoting girl-child education since the development of every nation depended on education.

He said that since statistics indicated that the population of females in the country was about 52 per cent while that of males was 48 per cent, it would not be fair to neglect girl-child education and commended the government for promoting the policy.

Mr Yiadom-Boakye condemned parents who engaged their children of school going in trading on market days or caring for their young ones when they had to be in the classroom.

Miss Nathanial Eureka, District Girls Education Officer, said since the inception of the Girls Education Unit in 1977, it had achieved successes to justify its establishment.

She said programmes of the unit, which included talks, promoting women role models; debates and other educational activities had led to increased enrolment of girls in the district.

Many girls have taken interest in the study of subjects like science, technology and mathematics in senior secondary schools and tertiary institutions, Miss Eureka said.

She said the Unit had assisted the girl-child to acknowledge the importance of science, mathematics and technology and were studying the subjects for socio-economic development of the nation.

Mr John Appiah Atuobeng also known as Nana Akowia II, Tufuhene of Akim Takyiman, on behalf of his younger brother, Barima Appiah Danso II, Chief of the town thanked the government and the organizers for their contributions towards the education of females.

He advised parents to send their children to school and to do away the notion the place for girls was the kitchen and urged them to give equal opportunities to both their male and female children.

The Chief encouraged schoolgirls to compete with their male counterparts in science, technology and mathematics and all subjects taught in school. 11 May 05