Junior High School leavers at Adobewora in the Ashanti are resorting to illegal mining because they have no access to second-cycle education.

Community leaders attribute the age-old problem to the absence of second-cycle school in the area.

Only a few JHS graduates in the predominantly farming community in the Atwima Mponua District are able to proceed to Senior High School.

Parents say they are unable to afford high boarding fees to send their children elsewhere to continue schooling.

Students have to trek 20 miles or 32 kilometers  daily to and from the nearest second-cycle institution, Catholic Senior High School at the district capital,  Nyinahini.

For majority of children who miss out on secondary education, galamsey provides a readily available option, with the attend risk and destruction to the environment.

Chief of Adobewora, Nana Kofi Boa Amponsem, says completion of the Community Day S.H.S will bring a welcome respite.

“Due to our financial difficulties we are not able to send our wards to the Senior High School when the pass the B.E.C.E, we cannot afford the boarding system so they go into galamsay when they complete the basic school,” he said.

The chief spoke during an inspection tour of government projects by Water Resources, Works and Housing Minister, Dr. Kwaku Agyemang Mensah.

Adobewora is one of the beneficiaries of 200 community schools promised by President Mahama in the 2012 election campaign.

They are eagerly looking up to early completion of on-going school project under Government’s Community Day Schools Programme to reverse the trend.

Eight other communities in the host district as well Amansie West District will benefit from the school project when it is completed.

Dr. Agyemang-Mensah is already upbeat about the anticipated impact.

“Development is about access to education, potable drinking water and good roads, I see access to education very important and that is the reason we see this project as an important one,” he stated.