DCE appeals to WACE to reconsider its decision on re-sitters

The District Chief Executive for Mfantseman, Mr Robert Quainoo-Arthur, has appealed to the West Africa Examinations Council (WAEC) to reconsider its decision to make re-sitters of the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) to write all subjects instead of those they failed in.

Mr Quainoo-Arthur said if the decision was not reversed it would deprive most of the nation's future leaders the chance to further their education.

He made the appeal at the First Ordinary Meeting of the Second Session of the Fourth Assembly at Saltpond in reaction to a report that eight Junior High schools in the district scored zero percent in the last BECE.

He announced measures being taken by the District Directorate of the Ghana Education Service and the district assembly to improve quality of education in the area.

The district received 97,821.21 Ghana cedis as Capitation Grant last academic year for disbursement to 97 pre schools, 114 primary schools and 94 Junior High Schools.

He said the Capitation Grant and the School Feeding Programme had increased enrolment from 6,090 in 2003/2004 to 8,166 in 2007 in pre schools, 19,476 to 25,401 in primary schools and 7,373 to 9,039 in Junior High Schools within the same period in the district.

Mr Quainoo-Arthur said the assembly spent 18,350 Ghana cedis on 98 needy students in Senior High Schools, 9,500 Ghana cedis on 45 students in tertiary institutions, 5,000 Ghana cedis on 39 teacher trainees and 7,370 on 28 physically challenged people in the district last year.

He expressed concern about the springing up of unauthorized structures in most of the communities and said a task force would be set up to identify offenders for prosecution and to demolish them.

Mr Quainoo-Arthur reminded civil servants about non-partisan status of district assemblies and cautioned them against driving the assembly into partisan politics in an election year.

He cautioned them to ensure that political activities in their electoral areas were conducted in a peaceful manner. "The elections should not be taken as life or death affair," he said.

Mr George Kuntu Blankson, Member of Parliament for Mfantseman East, called on members of the assembly to always think about things which could bring development to the people rather than those which could divide them.

Nana Ataapim Kweenu VIII, the Presiding Member commended members for their co-operation during the past year.

He appealed to them to help revenue collectors to discharge their duties effectively.