Mr. Kwabena Agyemang-Badu, Nkoranza District Director of Education, has urged traditional authorities, assembly and unit committee members not to resolve cases of defilement and rape at home. Mr. Agyemang-Badu was addressing the chiefs and people of Akumsa Domase in the Nkoranza South District at a forum organised by the Parent Teacher Association of the Local District Assembly Primary and Junior High School. The forum was aimed at sensitizing the people about the content of the new educational reforms programme and the roles and responsibilities of parents, teachers and students towards its successful implementation. He expressed regret at the low and poor standard of female education in the district, which he attributed to teenage pregnancy. “Men who have diabolical intentions to jeopardize the future of the girls in the communities should be dealt with seriously in order to deter them from such practices”, Mr. Agyemang-Badu stressed. He advised the communities to set up education advisory committees and charge members with the responsibility of educating the people on the importance of education. Mr. Agyemang-Badu reminded them that education was the only legacy that parents could bequeath their children and emphasized the need for parents to invest their resources in the education of their children. Mr. Kwame Amporfo-Twumasi, Member of Parliament for the area, appealed to parents to provide their children with basic necessities to sustain their interest in schools. He called on the people to respect teachers and establish sound and cordial relationship with them in the proper upbringing of their children to enable them to grow to become useful citizens. Mr. Amporfo-Twumasi said the government was working around the clock to make education at the Senior High Schools free of charge and appealed to the people to rally solidly behind him by voting massively for the NPP. Mr. Luciano Dapil, headmaster, complained that absenteeism and truancy among children were the major challenges affecting student performance. He said between the years 2005 and 2008 more than 80 students made up of 48 boys and 32 girls dropped out of the school. “The worst thing is that some of the recalcitrant students have joined the youth with questionable characters in the community and engaged in drug peddling and abuse”, Mr. Dapil said. He called on community leaders to join hands with the school management committee and the PTA in designing pragmatic measures to address the problem. Source: GNA