Government's aim is to enrol all children - Director

Kasoa (C/R), Aug 15, GNA - Mrs Victoria Opoku, Ga District Director of Education, on Sunday said it is the aim of the government to see that every school going child be in school by the year 2015. She noted that in spite of efforts by government to get all children of school going age enrolled, many of them continue to room the streets due to the apathy of some parents.

Speaking at the 1st Speech and Prize-giving Day of the Mary Star of the Sea Preparatory School, at Kasoa, Mrs Opoku said it was therefore necessary to put structures in place to absorb all children to have education.

She said this was the reason why the Ghana Education Service (GES) was doing its best to support private schools. Mrs Opoku said for education to make the proper impact "It behoves on all stakeholders to play their individual roles effectively so that collectively the common goal of uplifting education is achieved". She said parents owed it a duty to ensure their children were enrolled and to provide them with learning materials and other needs to make teaching and learning comfortable.

Mrs Opoku called for co-operation between parents and teachers to ensure smooth teaching, adding that, teachers should put in their best and avoid absenteeism and lateness.

She called on pupils to devote more time to their studies and not to indulge in vices that retarded their progress, saying that, "you should be law abiding and respectful to authority". Mrs Opoku urged parents to join in the fight against the AIDS pandemic by educating their wards on the mode of transmission, prevention and management of the disease.

Mrs Mary E. Ekenlebie, Headmistress said the school, which was started in October 2002 with four pupils now had a population of 425. She said the GES had given approval to the school to start a Junior Secondary School next academic year.

Mrs Ekenlebie said the problems facing the school included irregular attendance and parents' inability to provide the needs of their children.

She announced plans by the school management to award bursaries to brilliant children as from next academic year.