Drop out rate in Western Region reversing

Fijai (W/R), Jan. 25, GNA - Madam Nancy Zar, the Deputy Chief Director of the Western Regional Coordinating Council, has said poor enrolment, high drop out rate and poor examination results in the region has changed.

She said school enrolment had increased by over 17 percent and examination results for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and Senior Secondary School Certificate have improved considerably.

Madam Zar said this at the Western Regional Best Teacher and Worker awards ceremony at Fijai on Thursday.

It was on the theme "Quality teachers for quality education" and was sponsored by the Western Regional Education Trust Fund". Thirty-eight teachers and non-teaching staff were awarded for the 2005/2006 academic year and award winners received gas cookers, television sets and double door refrigerators.

Madam Zar said the country had reached a point where the concerns of teachers cannot be ignored and that plans were underway to improve teachers' incentives to motivate them.

"The government has not lost focus on its education goals and is therefore doing all it can to ensure that relevant structures are put in place for quality education delivery," she said.

Madam Zar said by September 2007, all new model schools would begin the new 'four year senior high school' policy.

She said Shama, Baidoo Bonsoe, Amenfiman, Wassa Akropong and Sefwi Wiawso senior high schools would soon been completed and jubilee kindergartens and primary schools would be established in all districts in the country.

Mrs Rebecca A. Dadzie, the Western Regional Director of Education, said in spite of several challenges that confronted teachers, they were able to discharge their duties effectively in the rural areas. Awulae Annor Adjaye, III, Omanhene of Western Nzema Traditional Area, said the prizes for future award winners should be improved. He appealed to the Ghana Education Service to sensitise corporate institutions to sponsor the best teacher awards ceremony. Mrs Araba A. Bentum of the Armoo D/C Primary School won the award in the primary category while Matthew k. Anumel of Yabiw D/C won in the JSS category. They took home a double door refrigerator each. Two award winners, Mr. Clifford Anderson of the Ghana Secondary Technical School in Takoradi and Mr. Isaac Kwesi Abban of the Wassa Dunkwa Anglican JSS in the Amenfi East District, could not receive their awards because they died a forth night ago.