Essipong, (W/R) May 13, GNA- Nana Kofi Abuna V, Chief of Essipon said on Wednesday spoke against some parents who use poverty as an excuse to deny their children education. She condemned the practice whereby school-going age girls are given out to assist relatives or to become maidservants instead of going to school.

Nana Abuna was speaking at a durbar organised by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), the United Nations Children's Fund, some civil society groups and traditional rulers on the theme, "Gender-parity for the girl-child in 2015, the role of traditional authorities".

He called on parents to change their beliefs in some traditional norms that discourage girl education. He urged parents to take family planning seriously to enable them to provide equal opportunity for their male and female children and said the institution of a "Girl-child fund" in her community, was meant to give girls opportunities to have easy access to education and remain in school.

The Chief said efforts were underway to establish family planning clubs in the community with the assistance of the Ghana Health Service (GHS). Mrs Doris Archampong, Greater Accra regional Director of the NCCE said the gender-parity project is meant to give more women the opportunity to attend and remain in school.

Ms. Saori Ohkubo, a UNICEF representative said the project though global, is targeted at traditional authorities.

"Without traditional rulers, our aim at improving educational opportunities for girls will be in vain" she stressed.

Master Evans Nkrumah, a Junior Secondary School student of the Essipon Metropolitan School appealed to chiefs and other leaders should insist that girls, who would be our wives and mothers, are educated to the highest level.