It sis now established that the number of school drop-outs in Ekumfi Narkwa and its environs in the Mfantsiman district of the Central Region has risen over the past two years, thus forcing many teachers there to seek transfers to other schools.

The Assistant Director of Education in-charge of Human Resource Development in the Mfantsiman district, Miss Vivian Etroo disclosed this to newsmen at Ekumfi Narkwa last week.

Miss Etroo said teachers in the town have threatened to leave primary and JSS schools in the area because the pupils prefer going fishing to attending school.

She added the situation has affected the academic standard of pupils in the area. Miss. Vivian Etroo who is also the head of the Inspectorate Division of the Ghana Education Service in the district, said 14 out of the 32 teachers in the village have threatened and even written for their transfers.

She explained that the situation has become more precarious with many of the girl-child pupils amongst them being sent to neighbouring countries especially, Cote d' Ivoire to either smoke fish or do some selling.

Miss Etroo continued that some of the boys are also sent to Yeji to fish and serve as "fishing mates" She appealed to parents in the area to take proper care of their wards and provide them with the needed materials for effective teaching and learning.

An elder of Nakwa, Opanyin Kojo Essoun assured the officers that everything possible would be done to create awareness on the need to send children who are the future leaders of the country to school.

Opanyin Kojo Essoun also appealed to the Mfanstiman District Assembly and the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs to assist the parents who are mostly fishermen and fishmongers with some financial assistance to be able to take their wards to school.