Heman (Western Region) -- A total of 43 pupils from the Heman Methodist Primary and Junior Secondary School (JSS) dropped out of school during the second term of 2002 academic year.
Mr John B. Ocloo and Mr James Amponsah, headteachers of the JSS and primary schools respectively, told the Ghana News Agency that 12 pupils from the JSS and 31 from the primary school failed to return to school for the third term.
Ten pupils from the District Council Primary School were transferred during the same term but there was no significant record of dropouts in the first term. The headteachers attributed the high dropout rate to economic hardship, poor parental care and the lack of commitment on the part of the pupils towards schooling.
Additionally, most children of school going age, the teachers said, stopped attending school and went into illegal gold mining popularly known as "galamsey". "To the children it is the fastest way of making money because many parents do not earn much from the farming and palm wine tapping, which are the major occupations in the area'', they said.
Many homes, the teachers said, were supported by children, who engaged in illegal gold mining operations. The headteachers said while some parents were unable to pay their children's fees, others did not show any interest in their education, leading to the high dropout rates.
Some teachers of Heman Methodist Primary school hinted that since the school was far away from the community, most parents had rented rooms in the town for their children but the girls have resorted to attending dances, video shows and indulging in other anti-social acts.
