Abiriw-Akuapem (E/R), Oct. 30, GNA - The Chairman of the Akuapem Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Rev (Dr) Joseph O. Y. Mante, has directed heads of all Presbyterian schools in the Akuapem area to repeat pupils who fail their examinations as a way of reversing the falling standard of education in the area.

He was preaching at the Abiriw Calvary Presbyterian Church to mark the 150th anniversary of the church under the theme "150 years of Christianity, the way forward" at Abiriw-Akuapem on Sunday. Rev. (Dr) Mante said the Presbyterian Church wanted to put in measures to ensure that the standard of education in their schools all over the country was raised and expressed the hope that the Ghana Education Service would support decisions of the church. He appealed to Akuapem citizens not to be satisfied with small gifts and support from non-governmental organizations and some individuals but to take the "bull by the horn" and invest in their community to ensure that the Akuapem community becomes one of best developed communities in the country in their lifetime. He expressed the hope that the 150th anniversary would see the Calvary congregation in Abiriw taking advantage of the anniversary to help develop the community into one big developed polytechnic town on the Akuapem ridge. Mr Dan Botwe, a presidential aspirant of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), urged people trained by the Presbyterian Church to exhibit those qualities every where to enable the nation to benefit from those positive elements of the training.

Mr R. G. Adu-Mante, a member of the church, said it was the desire of the church to develop the Presbyterian Resource Centre at Abiriw into a polytechnic.

Among the large crowed at the anniversary was Mrs Janet Darko, wife of the late Mr R. A. Darko who financed the construction of the Abiriw Calvary Presbyterian Church.