This has adversely affected the pupils' performance, especially in the Basic Education Certificate Examinations (B.E.C.E) by the West Africa Examination Council (W.A.E.C).

Mr Albert K. Obeng, Gomoa Community Participation Director made these remarks in an interview with ADM. He said the District Director of Education, Mrs Emma Baaba Quarcoo has therefore introduced reading skills into the district's schools curriculum to tackle the problem of reading in the district.

He said the introduction of the reading skills is an attempt to arrest the situation and improve the pupils' performance. Mr Obeng said some teachers have been given a token to teach the children how to read during vacation.

To ensure effective supervision and monitory, "people would not be allowed to do their own things," he assured. He said the programme has been placed under the "AD Supervision" who visits teachers and monitor their activities daily.

Mr Obeng also complained of insufficient posting of teachers to the district. He said the district was given only 80 trained teachers for this year, but the primary schools alone in the district are about 175.

"Unfortunately too" he said, "the district in every year leads in the exodus of teaches to the universities, which also increases the vacancy situation in the schools."

On recruitment of pupil teachers, he said "immediately they receive about four month's salaries after their recruitment, they abandon the job to further their education in the university."

He said his office is putting up measures to let them sign bonds to serve for a period. Mr Obeng said the district recognizes the adverse effects HIV/AIDS on education. He said most of the teachers have undergone HIV/AIDS sensitization programme to help educate the children.