By Charles Tawiah
Nyinahin (Ash), Sept. 22, GNA – The Atwima Mponua District Assembly is taking firm measures to maintain the education of the boy-child which is declining in the area because of illegal mining activities and motor riding.
Mr. Issahak Ibrahim, the District Chief Executive (DCE), who stated this said the assembly was in discussions with the police, small-scale mining companies and tricycle (Pragya) owners to prevent school-going boys from engaging in the operation of these two businesses in the area.
He pointed out that, small scale mining firms and tricycle owners, who would be disobedient and continue to engage boys under 18 years in their businesses, would be arrested and prosecuted.
Mr Ibrahim was speaking at Nyinahin, during the presentation of school materials to 17 BECE candidates from the district, who obtained aggregate six to 12 in this year’s examination and had gained admissions to senior high schools.
He decried the falling standards in educating the boy-child education in the district because of the two business activities in the area and said if immediate steps were not taken it could affect the socio-economic development of the area in the future.
Of the 17 best candidates, who received the gifts, only four were boys.
The first three candidates, namely- Gladys Labell, who obtained aggregate seven, Emmanuella Asiedu Abrafi and Ayishatu Ali, who had aggregate nine each, were all girls from Yaw Kusikrom, a deprived community in the district.
These results, according to the DCE, reflected a decline in boy-child education, which must be checked and stopped before it got out of hand.
He commended the teachers of the Yaw Kusikrom School, the parents, pupils and other stakeholders for their good work, that led to the impressive results in the examination.
He urged the pupils to continue to study hard in their second cycle institutions to raise the image of their Basic Schools, families, communities and the district.
The DCE pledged to increase the number of pupils in the coming years to motivate learners to study hard for improved educational standards in the district.
Mr. George Ekow Anang, the District Human Resource Officer of the Ghana Education Service (GES), said it was an annual routine to help Senior High School entrants when they were placed and the awards added value to the policy.
He commended the beneficiaries for excelling amongst over 3,000 candidates who took the examination in the district this year, and the commended Yaw Kusikrom and Domeabra D/A Basic Schools for leading the other schools.
Mr. Nicholas Antwi Agyei, the Headmaster of the Yaw Kusikrom D/A Basic School, appealed for the completion of an abandoned three-unit classroom block, which was started in the year 2010 for the school.
Each of the 17 beneficiaries received core English Language, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies textbooks, ten exercise books, a scientific calculator, mathematical set, bar of soap, toiletries, school bag as well as packs of sanitary pads for the girls.
The gift items, which were at the cost of GHC 17,000, were sponsored by the District Assembly in conjunction with the ISMAT Foundation, a non-government organisation (NGO) founded by the DCE.
GNA
Edited by Kwabia Owusu-Mensah/Benjamin Mensah