Some 25 percent of BECE candidates do not attend school

Deduako (Ash), July 22, GNA- A survey conducted by the Planning, Statistics, Research and Development Unit of the Kumasi Metropolitan Directorate of Education has shown that about 25 percent of registered candidates for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) do not attend classes.

Mr Peter Appiah-Amankwah, Assistant Director of Education in-charge of the Unit, said the figure was expected to increase in the next two years if measures were not taken to stem it.

Speaking at the presentation of library books to the Deduako Basic School near the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) on Thursday, he said the survey also showed that 25 percent of children of school-going age in the metropolis do not attend school while the drop out rate is 15 percent.

The Deduako community in collaboration with the school's Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) purchased the library books, which cost about two million cedis.

The PTA also renovated the six-unit classroom block of the school at a cost of eight million cedis.

Mr Appiah-Amankwaah said in view of the high percentage of children who did not attend school, his office had instituted a one-year sensitisation programme to enlighten parents to support their children's education.

Nana Antwi Boasiako, Deduakohene, in a speech read for him, assured the school that the community was determined to support it with facilities to make it the best in Ashanti Region.