Larteh (E/R), Oct. 9, GNA - The chief of Larteh, Nana Asiedu Okoo Ababio, has called for intensive education on the capitation grant for parents to understand that they still had a part to play in the education of their children in basic schools.

He said most parents refused to buy books or pay any levy for their children in the public schools on the pretext that with the grant everything including books were free.

Nana Asiedu Okoo Ababio, who was speaking at a durbar to climax the Odwira festival of the chiefs and people of Larteh at the weekend, said the negative attitude of the parents was due to misunderstanding of the capitation grant and if the issue was not given attention, it could lead to falling in the standards of education in public schools. He said another area that could hinder quality education was the school-feeding programme that had become discriminatory in its operations.

The chief said schools that benefited from the scheme were over populated whiles those who were not having the programme were gradually losing their pupils because parents were withdrawing their wards to schools where the feeding programme operated. Nana Asiedu Ababio appealed to the authorities of the school feeding programme to concentrate on the rural areas where it could serve as a motivation for parents to send their children to school. The Member of Parliament for Akropong, Mr William Ofori Boafo, pledged 25 million cedis of his common fund to a nurses' quarters project at Larteh and commended the chief for his vision in initiating the project.

The General Secretary of New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Ohene Ntow who hails from the town, donated 25 pieces of computers to the chief to be distributed to Benkum secondary School and the Larteh Presbyterian Secondary Technical schools and pledged more support for the development of the town.

The Eastern Regional Minster, Mr Kwadwo Affram Asiedu, urged the chiefs to put petty squabbles behind them and live in unity for the development of the people and donated 10 million cedis to the nurses' quarters project.

A fund raising in aid of the nurses' quarters for the town yielded 95 million cedis.