New policy on education will address major handicaps- JAK

Tumu (U/W), Oct 18, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Monday said the inability of most parents to cater for their children in pre-school was a major handicap in the country's education.

He said the government will introduce a new policy on education to address the problem, to ensure that children who would attain four years, were provided with pre-school education for two years before they enter primary one, under a Free Compulsory Education.

President Kufuor announced this when he was addressing a durbar of the chiefs and people of the Sissila East District at Tumu on the second day of his three-day official tour of the Upper West Region. President Kufuor said under the new policy "there would be no excuse for any parent to say he/she had no money to send his/her child to school".

He said the cost would be borne by the state and every children would be expected to be in school until he attains 16 years, adding "the government will not countenance any drop-out in school". President Kufuor said the policy would be implemented from next academic year for the next 10 years.

He addressed similar durbars a Wellembelle Funsi and Kugoperee. Kuoro Gilbert Badzoe Kanton, Paramount Chief of the Tumu Traditional Area, commended the government for undertaking numerous development projects in the area.

He announced that farmers in the Sissila East District had intensified the farming of maize and sorghum and appealed to the government to undertake a Presidential Special Initiative on Sorghum Production as it was far establishing itself as one of the most marketable crops in the Region.

At Funsi, Kuoro Nalaya Kinah Dumah, Regent of Funsi, congratulated the government for living up to their promising of giving Funsi a separate District.

He said "We are thankful for the new District but will also like to appeal for adequate infrastructure that would attract workers from all the corners of the country to come and work here'. The Regent appealed to the President to ensure that the area was provided with Senior Secondary School as the area had no such facility.