Kyebi (E/R), May 23, GNA - Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, Eastern Regional Minister, has expressed worry about the refusal and failure of teachers to accept postings to rural areas, which he said had contributed to the poor academic standards in those areas.

He observed that all the interventions government was bringing into the educational sector would be a mirage if the situation was not checked. Mr Ofosu-Ampofo therefore appealed to teachers, especially the newly trained ones, to accept postings to rural communities to help bridge the wide gap between the urban and the rural areas. He made the appeal at the second congregation of the Presbyterian College of Education at Kyebi on Saturday, where 146 out of 182 students were awarded with Diploma in Basic Education. The Regional Minister said the government was committed to education and would do everything possible to ensure that standard of education, especially in the rural areas improved.

He said it was against that background that the government introduced the distribution of free school uniforms to school children in rural communities, where the region had 42,149 as its share. Other interventions were the increased in the capitation grant, distribution of free exercise books to all basic school children, with the region getting more that four million, and the expansion of the School Feeding Programme.

He said though there were challenges in financing the educational sector, human development would be taken seriously. Mr Ofosu-Ampofo said government would therefore as a matter of priority ensure that necessary funds were released to support all the colleges of education in the country. The Principal of the College, Rev E.Y Omenako, announced that the college was granted accreditation as a tertiary institution in September 2007.

He said the college was running two academic programmes, which included the regular three- year Diploma in Basic Education and the Untrained Teachers Diploma in Basic Education. The principal announced that the college had started an Educational Technology Centre, which is intended to afford staff and students alike the opportunity to make use of all available developments in technology for teaching and learning.