Stephen Amoako, National Co-ordinator of Education Management Improvement component of Quality Education, Learning For All (EQUALL), has urged non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to seek value for resources invested in education in the country. EQUALL, an intervention of the Ghana Education Service (GES), in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which aims at ensuring the delivery of quality education in 20 districts in the country is sponsoring 18 schools in the Mfantseman District. It provides grants for capacity building of teachers, school management committees (SMCs), parent-teacher associations (PTAs) and for monitoring and supervision in its operations. Speaking at a review meeting organised by the Mfantseman District Directorate of Education with support from EQUALL at Saltpond, Mr Amoako said the performance of pupils in the schools was nothing to write home about, despite the huge resources invested in the project in the schools. "It is time we move a step ahead to manage for better results", he stated. Robert Quainoo-Arthur, Mfantseman District Chief Executive, expressed concern about poor standard of education in the area and urged teachers to be dedicated to their work since they could make or unmake the future of the children entrusted in their care. Miss Vivian Etroo, District Director of Education said the meeting was organised to review the implementation of activities funded by EQUALL District Incentive Grant (DIG) and to discuss a survey conducted on the incidence of teenage pregnancy among school girls in the area. The survey conducted in 30 schools indicated that 267 girls became pregnant from April 2003 to April 2007 aged between 13 and 19. Teachers, catechists, military personnel, students and other prominent members of the communities were responsible for such pregnancies. Presenting a report on the teenage pregnancy situation as recorded in health facilities in the District, Miss Mavis Narh, District Public Health Nurse said in 2003, 978 were recorded, 1,026 in 2004, 986 in 2005 and 1244 in 2006. The report on a test on reading four-word sentences conducted for 450 children in primary schools was very disappointing. Participants in the meeting including chiefs, assembly members, teachers and opinion leaders called for the enactment of bylaws to debar school children from nocturnal activities such as wake-keeping, video and cinema shows. They urged teachers to get pupils occupied by assigning them homework before they left school for home. Assistant Superintendent of Police ASP Felicia Ayensu, Central Regional Co-ordinator of Domestic the Violence and Victims Support Unit (DVVSU) of the Police Service, Inspector Patrick Yeboah, Saltpond District Crime Officer, two teenage mothers and their parents also contributed to the discussions. Source: GNA