Begoro (E/R), March 15, GNA - Stakeholders in the country's education sector have bemoaned the over reliance on donor support for its improvement in the Fanteakwa District.

This was the general sentiment expressed at a day's review meeting on Government Accountability Improved Trust (GAIT II), a USAID sponsored project for improvement of education at Begoro on Wednesday. The stakeholders contended that total donor support for community projects and programmes had eroded the ownership concept of such programmes and reduced community interest to providing maintenance support to such projects after completion. They argued that communities which provide marching funds to donor support projects or contributed resources in diverse ways often recognize the need to take absolute ownership of those projects and ensure their regular maintenance.

The Fanteakwa District Technical Assistant of GAIT II programme, Mr Julius Azumah, urged opinion leaders including assembly members to collaborate with unit committees to stop pupils from going out in the evenings to funerals and to watch video films to enable them to concentrate on their studies.

The Fanteakwa District Director of Education, Ms Mary Animwah deplored low performance of pupils at the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and called on School Management Committees/Parent Teachers Associations to assist teachers to reverse the trend this year. She said the government policy of sending children to schools within five kilometre radius was still in force.