Adukrom, Oct 19, GNA - Of the over 2,000 pupils who sat for this year's Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in the Akuapem North District, only 38 of them scored aggregate six whiles four schools in the Okere constituency scored zero percent.

The situation meant that all the pupils in the four schools scored aggregates between 30 and 36, which did not qualify them to be placed in any Senior High School under the Computer Selection and Placement programme. Mr Dan Kwaku Botwe, the Member of Parliament for Okere who spoke at the 25th anniversary of the Adukrom District of the Church of Pentecost on Sunday, said the result was an indication of parents' failure towards their children's education. He said the blame game being played by parents that teachers were not performing was unjustifiable because although teachers had a shared responsibility, if parents were more committed, their children would perform better.

Mr Botwe said the church could not escape blame because the same parents could be seen in the churches every Sunday and if they were "true Christians" they would be committed to their children's education. He said politics and Christianity were intertwined in that politics was a way of life and the latter was how to live in perfection and therefore the church must preach to its members to be committed to their children's education for a better future.

Mr George Opare-Addo, the Akuapem North District Chief Executive, said failure of parents to provide for their children's education was an exhibition of indiscipline and the church could not escape blame. He said when the role of parents and teachers were critically examined, children spent an average of seven hours in school and the rest in the house supposedly under the tutelage of parents therefore more responsibility was on parents than teachers and that must be the focus of the church. Mr Opare-Addo said the assembly would soon initiate a bye-law to ban children from patronizing drinking spots and also social gatherings in the night since it had been observed that many children in the evenings were seen in those areas instead of learning at home. The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, who shared the views of the earlier speakers, added that parent's commitment towards their wards education was very appalling.

He cited an instance where parents had money to buy funeral clothes or attend any social gathering but when it came to buying books or learning materials for their wards they began to count their responsibilities. Mr Ofosu-Ampofo said fathers were the worst culprits who shirked their responsibilities towards their children. He said all who professed to be Christians must show difference in all aspects of life, especially when it came to education because the church stood for development and enlightenment. Mr Ofosu-Ampofo later donated four packets of roofing sheets for the construction of Abenawia congregation that had been worshiping under tress. 19 Oct. 09