Nkroful(W/R), Sept. 10, GNA - The Ellembelle District recorded 76 per cent this year as against 68 per cent last year in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).

This is as a result of a number of interventions put in place by the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah and the District Assembly.

The District Director of Education, Mrs. Caroline Diana Gyimah disclosed this at the District Education Oversight Committee meeting at Nkroful on Thursday.

The meeting sought to strategize on the challenges confronting the basic education sector and how they could be improved upon.

Mrs. Gyimah noted that the district improved in examination score in the BECE and attributed the performance to the efforts of Mr.Buah and the Assembly who jointly organized two separate mock examinations district-wide ahead of the BECE.

Touching on the challenges facing the sector, Mrs. Gyimah said it was confronted with teacher inadequacy, adding that 64 per cent of teachers in the district were untrained.

She appealed to the Assembly to assist the untrained teachers to upgrade themselves to complement the efforts of those being sponsored in the teacher training colleges to improve education in the area.

Mrs. Gyimah also expressed worry about the refusal of teachers to accept postings to the Northern part of the district and urged the Assembly to introduce measures to entice teachers to the remote parts of the district.

This, she observed, would improve the examination score in the area tremendously since the lack of teachers in those parts of the district was a major cause of non-performance.

The Director also appealed to government for a pick-up van to allow for effective monitoring since the only car could not take them to the remotest parts of the district.

Mr Dominc K. Nyanzu, Presiding Member of the Assembly, proposed that an award scheme be instituted for teachers, workers, circuit supervisors and students to serve as motivation to improve education in the area.

The District Chief Executive (DCE) Mr Daniel K. Eshun reiterated the Assembly's commitment to lend the required support to the education directorate to improve the standard of education in the district.

He said the Assembly would use part of the District development Fund (DDF) to complete an abandoned structure to serve as offices for the Education and Health directorates and urged them to exercise restraint.