Use cocoa revenue to develop rural areas - Govt urged

Kumasi, Nov. 8, GNA - A University lecturer has suggested to the government to use substantial part of the foreign exchange from the sale of cocoa to expand socio-economic infrastructure in rural areas. Mr Godwin R.K. Ebenya, Lecturer at the Sociology Department of the University of Cape Coast, said it was unfair for the government to continue to use revenue from cocoa to provide social amenities such as schools and hospitals in urban cities to the detriment of rural areas were cocoa beans are produced.

Mr Ebenya was speaking at the 6th Pearson-Osae Appreciation Lectures, organised by the old students (Amanfoo) of the Prempeh College in Kumasi, on Friday.

His topic was "bridging the gap between rural and urban education".

Mr Ebenya said the provision and expansion of socio-economic infrastructure in rural areas would help open up and improve the living standards of the people.

It would also become more attractive to teachers and entice them to accept postings to help raise educational standards in rural areas. Mr Ebenya said poverty and income disparities in rural areas, coupled with lack of adequate educational infrastructure and socio-cultural practices, had helped widen the gap between rural and urban education.

He appealed to the government to have the political will to enforce the policy of compulsory education and convince parents in rural areas to send their children to school and called for motivation for rural teachers by providing accommodation and other incentives to enable them give off their best.

Professor Agyeman Badu Akosa, National President of the old students association, said Ghana had failed as a nation in its educational system.

He said the time had come for the nation to ensure that every child received equal access to quality education.

Professor Akosa appealed to the well-endowed schools to adopt some of the deprived ones as surrogates and offer them the opportunity to use their facilities and expertise to improve teaching and learning. Some of the old students in their contributions urged the government to pursue its policy of establishing a model school in each district with vigour as a means of bridging the gap between rural and urban education.

They also called for the establishment of rural scholarship funds to assist needy pupils and students.