Atwima Nwabiagya District Assembly to prosecute irresponsible parents

Dabaa (Ash), Oct. 10, GNA - The Atwima Nwabiagya District Assembly in Ashanti has instituted measures to arrest and prosecute parents and guardians, whose school-going age children are found not attending school. Mr Thomas Ofori-Donkor, the Atwima Nwabiagya District Chief Executive, who announced this, said the measures were among the assembly's programmes aimed at promoting the successful implementation of the government's Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) programme. He was addressing an education forum at Dabaa, near Akropong in the Atwima Nwabiagya District on Friday, organized by the district Education Directorate.

The DCE said parents should justify the huge sums of money the government has invested to provide quality free education to basic school-going age children in the country, by encouraging their children to go to school. Mr Ofori-Donkor said, teachers were vital components for the successful implementation and provision of quality education and that, the communities must offer them the due respect, recognition and support to enable them improve performance. The DCE noted that, it is morally obligatory for communities to initiate self-help programmes and also fulfil their tax responsibilities to enable the assembly to provide social amenities to improve their living standards.

Mr Eddy Obeng-Darko, the District Director of Education said the introduction of the government's Capitation Grant has tremendously increase enrolment in some public schools. To absorb the numerous new admissions of pupils, he said the directorate is collaborating with the district assembly and other Non-Governmental Organisations to provide more infrastructure. Mr Obeng-Darko said, however that, it is the responsibility of parents to provide uniforms, exercise books and other basic stationery for their children to enhance teaching and learning. Nana Adu Gyamfi, the Chief of Dabaa, who presided, disclosed that, he has personally spent over 6 million cedis to provide a playing field for the local basic school and said, the community would mobilize resources to put-up a modern and permanent kindergarten school block.