Ahumahumaso (E/R), Aug 26, GNA- The people of Ahumahumaso and the surrounding communities in the Fanteakwa District have appealed to the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports to establish a day secondary school in the area.

This they said would enable the large number of school children in the area to get access to secondary education.

The appeal was made at a sensitisation forum on the Capitation Grant at Ahumahumaso, organised by the Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition (GNECC) for parents and guardians on Friday. The parents complained that some teachers do not return early from their weekends outside the area, which led to some schools not being able to write their promotion examination at the end of the term. They urged the Fanteakwa District Assembly to support them with roofing sheets and other building materials to enable them to complete the new school block to replace the old one, which collapsed. The Fanteakwa District Director of Education, Ms Mary Animwaa appealed to the community to help in accommodating teachers posted to the area by renting some of their rooms.

She advised parents to educate their wards to enable them to contribute their quota to national development. "If you do not educate your children their mates from the urban areas would engage them as house helps". She said under the Capitation Grant programme, Chairmen of the School Management Committee (SMC) were expected to sign the request of the head teachers to ensure that the support would be monitored for the progress and development of the school. Ms Animwaa said some schools in the district do not have SMC yet they always manage to get non-existing chairmen to sign their documents and advised that the practice be stopped.

The Regional Coordinator of the GNECC, Mr Lawrence Batsa observed that, despite several actions and programmes put in place by government to ensure that every child of school going age has access to free quality basic education, there are still numerous challenges confronting the educational sector.

He said there are still more children engaged in child labour such as surface mining and quarrying as well as a high drop out rates in schools.

Ms Gifty Ampabil, Deputy Eastern Regional Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), observed that the Capitation Grant had led to an increase in school enrollment to the extent that one could see over 80 children in a classroom meant for 45 pupils. She explained that, such situations were not conductive to effective teaching and learning.

Ms Ampabil was not happy about the delay in giving out the Capitation Grant, saying that it sometimes comes at the end of the term.