Abetifi (E/R), Aug. 1, GNA - Reverend Samuel Kwame Mensah, General Manager of Presbyterian Schools, has urged the government to rescind its decision to absorb fees in basic schools.

He said instead, government should concentrate on the provision of educational infrastructures and other inputs as well as motivate teachers to improve the standard of teaching in schools. Rev Mensah said the present educational budget was inadequate to provide all the basic needs including infrastructures, furniture, text and exercise books.

Addressing a commendation service for 112 final year students of the Abetifi Presbyterian Training College (ABETICO) at Abetifi in the Kwahu South District, Rev Mensah urged the government to use whatever amount it had planned to use to pay those fees to provide basic educational needs and leave the settlement of the fees to parents. He said schools, especially those in the Northern Region were facing a lot of problems because of the inability of government to release funds on a regular basis and urged the government not to further burden the already inadequate educational budget.

Rev Mensah also urged the government to involve churches and other religious bodies in the educational decentralisation process to ensure moral discipline.

The Principal of the Collage, Reverend Fred Appertey said the introduction of Diploma in Training Collages would help attract more qualified persons to be trained as professional teachers to improve the standard of education.

He appealed to the government, district assemblies and non-governmental organisations to provide the needed resources and infrastructures to enhance effective training of teachers. Rev Thomas Boakye, Sekyere Presbytery Chairperson of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, advised the students to make effective use of the Presbyterian discipline acquired during their training to enhance discipline in basic schools.

He advised the out-going students to accept postings to the rural areas where their services were mostly needed to impart their knowledge and to improve the standard of education in the country.