Yamoransa (C/R), Sept. 18, GNA - The Chiefs and people of the Nkusukum Traditional Area have appealed to the Minister of Education Youth and Sports and the Director-General of Ghana Education Service to save parents from exploitation by teachers under the pretext of organising extra classes.
They noted that some teachers regard extra classes as a "gold mine" and give preference to it than their normal working hours, adding that, apart from additional financial burden on parents, extra classes over-stretch the brains of the children.
They noted that even children in kindergarten are made to stay on after normal hours for extra classes for a fee.
They made the appeal at a forum organised by the Mfantseman District Directorate of Education to assess the impact of measures put in place last year to curb teenage pregnancies.
Last year the Nkusukum Traditional Council decided to ban school children from attending wake-keepings and video shows and initiated a programme to sensitise parents especially fathers to live-up to their responsibilities.
Miss Vivian Etroo, Officer in charge of Girld-Child Education, blamed some executives of Parent-Teacher Associations for conniving with teachers in fixing fees for extra classes without the knowledge of the Directorate.
She said the situation was thwarting efforts to check the illegal payment of fees and appealed to PTAs for co-operation. It came to light at the forum that drivers of articulated vehicles and fuel tankers who have made Yamoransa their transit point indulge in indecent activities with schoolgirls.
Miss Etroo said some girls admitted having sexual relations with the drivers in their vehicles for money to buy their needs. She appealed to the Chiefs to take measures to check the practise to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS in the town.
