Chief suggests agriculture be made compulsory subject in schools

Enyan Owomasi (C/R), Nov. 19, GNA - Obirifo Ampah II, Chief of Owomasi near Ajumako, has suggested to the educational authorities to make agriculture a compulsory subject at all levels of education. This, the chief said, would encourage the youth to take farming and fishing activities as a profession.

Obirifo Ampah promised to release land for the establishment of an agricultural training college to produce teachers to handle the subject in schools.

He made the call at the inauguration of a block of six classrooms for the local T.I. Ahmadiyya Primary School.

The block estimated at about 45 million cedis was constructed with materials provided by Mr. Isaac Edumadze, the Member of Parliament for Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam from his share of the District Assemblies' Common Fund while the community provided labour.

Obirifo Ampah expressed regret that many of the youth had taken to buying and selling and said if nothing was done to entice them to go into agriculture to replace the aged farmers, the food security the nation hoped to achieve would be elusive.

The chief appealed to the government to develop the slave route and market, in the town to serve as a tourist attraction.

Mr. Karl Erik Erikson, a Swede and retired lecturer, who was enstooled Mpuntuhene (Development Chief) of the town under the name Nana Adu I, commended the people for their determination to improve their living condition.

Nana Adu had single-handedly financed the education of all primary school pupils in the town since his installation 10 years ago. Mr. Peter Drefenu, Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam District Director of Education, urged teachers to ensure that children who passed through their hands were able to read and write.

Mr Edumadze commended Nana Adu for his magnanimity towards the pupils and urged the chiefs to impose severe sanctions on parents who refused to send their children to school.

"If payment of school levies is no longer a burden on parents, there is no justification for their inability to send the children to school," he said.

The Regional Minister pledged to support teachers who would want to undertake the Distance Education Programme.

Mr. A.K. Mahdi, Assemblyman, appealed to the government to provide the town with electricity and to rehabilitate the road leading to the town to facilitate easy transportation of people and farm produce to market centres.