Dr. George Mawusi Afeti, former Rector of Ho Polytechnic, has called on government to ensure equity in the nation's educational system, by paying greater attention to the needs of rural and community secondary schools.
He said that if such schools were well-resourced it would have helped in eliminating social disparities.
Dr Afeti was speaking on the theme: "45 years of Community Education, Challenges and The Way Forward", at the Speech and Prize Giving Day of the Anfoega Senior High School on Saturday.
He observed that community schools in the country were disproportionately less-endowed and not adequately equipped.
"They are also disproportionately attended by students from poor household," Dr Afeti said.
In his view "greater public spending on rural schools (in the form of good buildings, well-resourced classrooms, adequate supply of teaching materials, and well-motivated teachers." was important.
"Let us build the nation from the village and grassroots level through the provision of quality education to the poor and the vulnerable of society who are more likely to find themselves in community schools" Dr Afeti stated.
He said "government as the major stakeholder cannot and should not abdicate its role as the prime mover of quality education for all".
Dr Afeti said that it was one thing bringing secondary school education to the door steps of the people and another getting the best out of it.
He said communities were expected to complement government's efforts at meeting the resource needs of community secondary schools which they must be regarded as the "most important community asset."
Mr. Tettey-Enyo, Minister of Education, said the Ministry would tackle the problem of infrastructure needs of the School systematically and that its old site would be turned into an Information and Communication Technology and distance learning centre.