Asokwa (Ash), Sept. 18, GNA - The Adansi North District Directorate of Education in the Ashanti Region is organising community workshops to sensitise the people on the importance of education.

The workshops, attracted assembly and unit committee members, chiefs and educationists in the Dompoase, Akrokerri and Asokwa Zones.

It gave the participants the opportunity to appraise the Truancy Free Zone Initiative" programme launched in September 2009 to help bring down students truancy in the district to the barest minimum.

Dr George Adjei-Henne, District Director Education who was the brain behind the initiative and a lead facilitator of the workshops said illegal mining activities among other things are contributing to poor school attendance in the area, which leads to poor learning outcomes, high school drop-out rate and teenage pregnancy.

He therefore challenged the participants to help arrest the situation. Dr Adjei-Henne said since the introduction of the truancy free zone initiative, school attendance have improved at the kindergarten, primary and junior high school levels.

On the Basic Education Certificate Examination, he said the District rose from the 28th position in 2009 to fourth in 2010 in the national ranking.

Madam Hanna Amponsah, District Girl Child Education Co-ordinator commended the District Assembly for enacting bye-laws on juvenile delinquency to support the initiative.

Leading a discussion on bye-laws at the Asokwa workshop, Madam Amponsah asked parents to desist from the verbal and physical assault of teachers, stressing that such acts are illegal and attracts a penalty.

She appealed to the participants to take interest in arresting truant students and encourage parents to take interest in the education of their children.