Sunyani, Oct. 10, GNA - The Reverend Canon Timothy Kankam-Dwumfour, Sunyani Municipal Director of Education, has attributed the abysmal performance of students in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) to truancy, moral decadence and disrespect for authority by students.

He said these ills that had gained roots in schools and society at large could only be reversed if corporal punishment or caning is re-introduced.

Rev. Kankam-Dwumfour said this at a farewell party for Rev. Mrs. Georgina Aba Sam, out-going Brong-Ahafo Regional Manager of the Africa Methodist Episcopal Zion Educational Unit (A.M.E) in Sunyani. Rev. Mrs. Sam is on transfer to Koforidua as the Eastern Regional Manager of the Unit.

He said there was the need for parents to monitor their children to ensure they truly left home for school and also to check their movements after school hours.

Rev. Kankam-Dwumfour said 93now that the salaries of teachers are appreciable, they should also justify it by adopting modern methods of teaching and work with commitment and dedication to help improve the fallen standard of education". He appealed to parents to collaborate with teachers and to reduce their huge expenses on luxurious goods so they could provide their children with basic educational materials to make them comfortable in school.

Rev. Kankam-Dwumfour noted with regret that moral decay was on the ascendancy in basic schools and appealed to school heads, teachers, parents and guardians to join hands to reverse the trend. Rev. Mrs. Sam expressed appreciation to the Municipal and District Directors of Education, Headmasters, head teachers, Parent Teacher Associations and School Management Committees for their co-operation that made her 16-year stay in the region successful.