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About 480 school children drawn from Basic and Senior High Schools in the Atiwa District took part in the 53rd Independence Anniversary Parade, at Kwabeng. The usual large crowd, which characterized the occasion, was missing this year due to the decision of the education authorities to limit the parade to only schools in the Kwabeng Circuit instead of a combination of two or three circuits. Mr Emmanuel Atta Twum, District Chief Executive for Atiwa, in an address, paid tribute to the founding fathers of the nation who, he said, sacrificed their blood to win political freedom from the colonial masters. He urged the people to emulate them and rededicate themselves towards the development of a prosperous nation. Mr Atta Twum observed that for the realization of the Government's Agenda of a Better Ghana, there was the need for every Ghanaian to help create the necessary conditions for economic growth. He assured that government would not renege on its promises of investing in people. Mr Atta Twum announced that the district had taken delivery of 26,098 exercise books for distribution to schools, adding that the supply of free school uniforms to public sector basic schools had began and the district would soon receive its share. The DCE, however, expressed concern about the poor academic performance of school children in the district. He said the 2009 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) results indicated that out of the total of 1,753 candidates from public schools who sat for the examination only 795 passed while 958 failed. Mr Atta Twum said to solve that problem the district was in the process of launching an education endowment fund to replace the scholarship scheme for the total promotion of education in the area. He commended teachers who had been dedicated to their work to ensure that quality education was delivered in the district. Mr Atta Twum assured that the Assembly would do all it could to motivate teachers in the district to improve academic performance.