Agona Swedru, Aug 7, GNA - The Head of Salaries and Conditions of Service at the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) headquarters in Accra, Mr Benjamin Kwabena Osei, has stated that quality education is the only panacea to break the vicious cycle of poverty in the society.

He said quality education is fundamental to gender equality, human security, community development, job opportunity and national progress, whereas poor education is tantamount to no progress and no prosperity among the citizens of the country. Mr Osei expressed these sentiments at the fourth speech and prize-giving day celebration of the Swedru Solid Foundation Primary and Junior Preparatory school at Agona Swedru in the Central Region. It was celebrated under the theme "Quality Education, a tool for development". Mr Osei said quality education had five key elements namely the environment, content of education, what students learn, process and outcome in the set-up of the educational sector.

Mr J. A. Yankson, Proprietor of the School, appealed to the government to assist private schools with teaching aid and other educational material to enable them to continue to contribute towards quality education in the country. He said the private schools play an important role in the country's educational system, hence the need to give them the requisite assistance. Mr Yankson said the school started with 10 pupils and four teachers, but now had a student population of 1,600 from Kindergarten to Junior High school. He said plans were advanced for the establishment of a Senior High school in the next two years. He appealed to parents and guardians to provide their children with the basic needs to enable them to achieve academic laurels in future. 7 Aug. 09