11 Mfantseman Junior High Schools score zero per cent in BECE

Eleven Junior High Schools in Mfantseman Municipality, scored zero per cent in the 2011 Basic Education Certificate Examination.

None of the students in the 11 schools obtained aggregate 25, the cut-off mark for admission into Senior High Schools.

Mr Aquinas Tawiah Quansah, a Member of Parliament (MP) for the area and an ex-officio member of the assembly made this known in a speech read on his behalf, at a durbar to mark the Akwanbo festival of the people of Ekumfi Amansie-Edumadze near Mankessim in the Central Region at the weekend.

Mr Quansah, who is also a Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, said a survey conducted in the Municipality revealed that about 4,000 children of school-going ages were not enrolled in schools, a situation he described as “worrying”.

He said the government had invested a lot in education and advised parents to ensure that their children benefit from the investment.

“The best legacy that a parent can bequeath to his or her children is education, “he said.

The MP noted that the law which established the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education demanded that parents who refused to send their children to school should be arrested and prosecuted.

Nana Onyaa II, Tufuhen of Ekumfi Traditional Area and Regent of Amansie-Edumadze appealed to the people to invest in the education of their children.

He urged the people to use the festival to repair broken marriages for the children of such relationships to get the conducive environment to develop.

Mr Alex Kojo Appiah, Assembly member for the area urged Ghanaians to dispel the notion that festivals were fetish.

He gave account of his six-month stewardship, saying he had installed street bulbs at GH¢900.00, fencing the local school park and purchasing tools to be used during communal labour.

Mr Adu Gyamfi Manfo a Radio Presenter and Chairman of Unit Committee of the town asked the people to use the festival to unite to enhance accelerated development.

Mr Oscar Kweku Appiah, immediate past Assembly member and Chairman of the Mankessim Number Three Branch of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union, who chaired the function pointed out that development of communities depended on how the people celebrated their festivals.

He urged the festival planning committee to initiate projects for the people to implement during such festive occasions.

Six people, including past assembly members were honoured at the function.

Source: GNA