Apam (E/R), Aug 12, GNA - Ignorance is the primary cause of poverty says Dr Adelina Effie Arkhurst, a Lecturer in Home Economic at the University of Education, Winneba, has said.

She said to reduce poverty a premium must be paid on education.

Delivering a speech at the maiden graduation of Nyamekye International School at Apam, Dr Arkhurst said education also helped in promoting democracy.

"If you do not know, you cannot demand accountability from people governing us," she said and called on the society to create enabling environment for children to acquire education, skills for organisation and the nurturing of discipline to develop themselves.

She said development must not be equated to only provision of goods and services but it must start with people and their education, people and their organisation and people and their discipline.

The theme for the occasion was Education, Key to National Development; Private Sector Participation.

Dr Arkhurst said there was no free education anywhere in the world and urged parents to invest in the education of their children for a better future.

She said the government alone could not shoulder education in the country and appealed to individuals and corporate bodies that are the beneficiaries of the end result of education to help.

She lauded the individuals who were making moves to compliment government's efforts and urged government to give them the needed recognition.

Dr Arkhurst appealed to teachers to modernise their teaching methods to reflect on the technological demands of the present world and children must reciprocate the sacrifices their parents were making to see them through education by learning hard.

Mr Charles Mills Robertson, Central Regional Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Private Schools, appealed to the government to let private schools benefit from the Capitation Grant and all other government interventions.

That, he said would bring down the fees paid in private schools.

Mr James Krampah, Assistant Director in charge of Supervision at the Gomoa West Directorate of the Ghana Education Service, said the Directorate had initiated a programme to support private schools to build the capacity of their teachers to enable them to deliver quality education.

Mrs Marvis Ewura Esi Anyanful, the Proprietor of the school, said she would do her best to make the school a centre of excellence in provision of education.

Nana Ankamu Otabil, Chief of Ankamu pledged a microphone for the school.