A member of Council of State, Dr Ato Essuman, has blamed parents and the community for the high rate of school dropouts in the country.
"It is the responsibility of parents and the community to ensure that children attend school and are retained till completion," Dr Essuman, a former Chief Director of the Ministry of Education, told the GNA in an interview.
He was reacting to recent media reports on high school dropout rate in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abirem Municipality in the Central Region.
Dr Essuman said dropout rates are high where poverty was prevalent but said that was no excuse for parents and community members to shirk their
responsibility and sacrifice the future well-being of their children.
He said research showed that fishing was lucrative to children and some were attracted to it and because of that they feet reluctant to attend
school.
Dr Essuman expressed disappointment that children played truancy with the full knowledge of parents and other members of the community.
He appealed to parents and community members to create conditions at home and in school that are conducive to supporting educational development
of their children.
Turning to the role of the school and the District Assemblies, Dr Essuman said the two institutions with the support of chiefs and community leadership should collaborate and enforce bye-laws that would check child delinquency and child labour in all forms during school hours.