Koforidua, July 29, GNA - Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, the Eastern Regional Minister, on Thursday appealed to parents to support the government in providing quality education for children, especially those in public schools.

He said although the government had instituted many measures to improve access to education that should not mean parents should shirk their responsibilities towards their children's education.

Mr Ofosu-Ampofo said the fact that public schools, which got more resources from government yet continued to perform poorly as against private schools was an indication that parents must support their children in public schools.

He was addressing the eight congregation of the RIIS Presbyterian Model Junior High School in Koforidua.

He said challenges of the public schools were enormous and that municipal and district assemblies alone could not support it unless parents use their resources for the best of their children.

Mr Ofosu-Ampofo, who was elated with the school's performance for being the best public school in the region in the Basic Education Certificate Examination, commended parents of the children for their support.

Mr S.S Segbefia, the Parent/Teacher Association Chairman, said the school, through the cooperation and contributions from parents, had been able to raise the academic standards to the extent that every parent in Koforidua wanted admission in the school.

He said the school on three consecutive times was adjudged the best public school in the country and thanked the teachers for their efforts and pledged the continuous support of the PTA to the school.

Mr Robert Ntow, the Headmaster of the school, said the school was the first public school in the region to abolish the shift system since 1997 when it was turned into a Presbyterian model public school.

He said the school since that time had toped the league table of the candidates presented for the BECE in the region and in 2005/2006 became the best public school in Ghana due to support from the PTA and dedication of the teachers.

However, the headmaster noted that despite the achievements, any levy imposed on the children to maintain the standards was fiercely resisted by the education directorate and appealed to the regional minister to intervene on their behalf since the parents were prepared to contribute.

He said the school had no fence wall and adequate classrooms yet when the PTA decided to construct them, they were not allowed to levy the children thereby halting the project.