Council of State Member calls for abolition of JSS

Abeadze Dominase (C/R), Aug. 30, GNA - A member of the Council of State, Nana Prah Agyensam VI, has called for the abolition of the Junior Secondary School system of education in the country because of its ineffectiveness.

Nana Agyensam, who is the chief of Assin Kushia in the Central Region, said the JSS system of education was making the pupils, especially those in the rural areas semi-literates and was retarding the progress of the nation.

He explained that teachers and the facilities needed for implementation of the system effectively were either not there or inadequate.

"If for any reason the system could not be abolished now, then the subjects taught should be reduced to about four or five to make it manageable by the few teachers available," the chief said. The Council of State member made the call at the launch of the Abeadze Traditional Area Education Endowment Fund at Abeadze Dominase at the weekend.

Nana Agyensam expressed concern about apathy in the society and said solution to poverty could be found in our way of behaviour. Mr. Stephen Asamoah Boateng, a Deputy Minister of Information, debunked the assertion of some opponents of the government that President John Agyekum Kufuor had failed to fulfill the promises he made to the nation during the electioneering campaign.

He said the President made five priority areas his target and these were, vigorous infrastructure development, modernised agriculture, enhanced social services with emphasis on education and health, private sector development, and good governance.

Mr. Asamoah Boateng, who is NPP parliamentary candidate for Mfantseman West, said systematically the government had achieved a lot in those areas and urged Ghanaians to give the Government a second chance.

Mr. Robert Quainoo-Arthur, District Chief Executive of Mfantseman, exhorted school authorities to give moral discipline a special attention in their institutions.

He appealed to the non-resident citizens of the area to support the endowment fund to help needy but brilliant pupils. Mr. Quainoo-Arthur said the name of Ghana had gone far due to good governance and rule of law prevailing in the country and called on Ghanaians not to make the December general elections undermine the gains made.

Mr. Jojo Bruce Quansah, NDC parliamentary candidate for Mfantseman West attributed the falling standard of education to less attention of parents to their wards due to pressure of work. He urged Ghanaians to motivate teachers to enable them to give out their best to the children.

Mr. F.K. Aidoo, an officer from the District Directorate of Education called for attention on vocational training to equip the children with marketable skills. Nana Kwebu Ewusie VII, Omanhene of the area said he had acquired 60 computers for the establishment of a computer-training centre at Dominase to make the people computer literate.