Regional News of Wednesday, 27 October 2004

Source: GNA

"Admission contractors" advised to stop defrauding parents

Gomoa Jukwa C/R, Oct. 27, GNA - The Authorities of the Gomoa Jukwa Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Secondary school, near Agona Swedru have warned persons who collect monies from parents in a bid to secure admission for their children in the school to desist from such practice or face full rigorous of the law.

Pastor Richard Ntriakwa, Director of the School, who disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview at Gomoa Jukwa on Tuesday, said the authorities had alerted the security agencies to arrest those who had taken undue advantage of the school's liberal admission procedures to dupe parents and guardians.

He said the warning followed claim made by two parents that they had paid 400,000 cedis each as bribe before their children were offered admission into the school.

Pastor Ntriakwa said the SDA Church was aware of the pressure on the government schools and had therefore established the school to help parents in the area to get a school for their children.

He cautioned that the authorities would deal ruthlessly with the individuals and groups of persons who were using names of some authorities to defraud parents for their personal gains.

The Director appealed to some headmasters who collect money from parents and guardians before offering admission to stop the practice because they would surely be found out.

Pastor Ntriakwa noted that the school was helping to raise the standards of education in the Gomoa, Agona and Awutu-Effutu-Senya districts.

He said the school increased its intake of the girls this year by two thirds in line with the government's policy on girl- child education and appealed to parents to report the swindlers for arrest and prosecution.

The Director said in order to accommodate the increase in intake, 10 blocks of classrooms had been constructed at the cost of 150 million cedis, while the construction of 11 new ones was underway Pastor Ntriakwa said the school was also extending electricity from Gomoa Manso to the campus at the cost of 60 million cedis, adding that more than 20 electric poles had been erected to enable the project to take off.