General News of Monday, 30 September 2002

Source: gna

Parents who deny children of education must be punished - Educationist

Mr Enoch Osei-Sarfo, Assistant Director in-charge of the Inspectorate Division of the Nkoranza Education District, has called on the District Assembly to enact laws to deal with parents who deny their children formal education.

He was addressing a forum for stakeholders in education in the district to discuss problems militating against primary education at Nkoranza. The programme followed the conduct of a Performance Monitoring Test (PMT) in all the 111 primary schools in the district held last year at which selected pupils from primary 'level two' to 'level six' were examined in English Language and Mathematics.

Mr Osei-Sarfo expressed regret about the fallen standard of education in the area and the reluctance of some parents to assist in rectifying the situation. "Every child is an asset to the nation and if he or she is denied the needed training and education, he or she becomes a burden on the society.

Mr A.K. Dorzie, District Coordinating Director, announced that the District Assembly had placed premium on the promotion of education in the area and that a number of classroom blocks were being constructed to promote teaching and learning.

Teachers' bungalows are also being provided to ease accommodation problems of teachers. He appealed to other stakeholders in education in the area to assist in improving the fallen standard of education in the district.

Mr Adjei Yeboah, Presiding Member of the Assembly who presided, urged parents to invest in the education of their children, as that was the only valuable legacy they could bequeath to them.