Parents and guardians can now get their children admitted into schools although they may not be in possession of birth certificates at the time, the Ministry of Education has announced.

This decision by the Ministry follows reports that many persons are using the non-receipt of birth certificates as a reason for keeping their children from attending school, a Government Information Agency (GINA) press release said.

However, according to the ministry, a significant "registered" person residing within the same district must verify the age of the child, GINA reported. The birth certificate, the ministry stressed, must be obtained shortly after and shown to the headteacher.

This move by the Education Ministry is aimed at ensuring that all children of school-age throughout the country are registered in schools and attend regularly and punctually, the release stated.

It is the duty of Schools Welfare Officers to ascertain and report parents who have failed to ensure that their children receive sufficient instructions in reading, writing and arithmetic. And these officers are also responsible for enforcing the provision of the Education Act and prosecuting all those who are not complying with it. A hotline at 225-0686 has been set up by the Ministry to deal with the issue, the release added.