The Upper East Regional Director of the Department of Children, Madam Georgina Aberese-Ako, is urging both government and parents to commit more resources into the education of children in Ghana.
Increased investment in education, according to her, will lead to the proper development of the human resource base of the country, which will eventually have a positive bearing on the development of the country.
She made the call at an event held at the Gbeogo School for the Deaf to mark International Day of the African Child with support from ActionAid Ghana.
The event which was under theme: “Education for All Children in Africa: The Time is Now” brought learners and teachers from five schools in the Talensi District together to deliberate on the challenges with access to education and the stay of children in school.
These schools are Gorigo, St. Joseph, Shia, Gbeogo School for the Deaf and St. Thomas Junior High Schools.
The Day of African Child being commemorated on the 16th of June each year provides an opportunity to reflect on the progress made for children and to highlight the challenges that persist towards ensuring access to quality education for all in Africa.
With the African Union selecting Education as its theme for 2024, it is essential to highlight the importance of education in shaping the future of African children. By commemorating the Day of African Child in relation to education, attention can be drawn to the need for quality and inclusive education systems that will empower African children to thrive and contribute to Africa’s sustainable development
It is on this Madam Aberese-Ako, is calling for increased investment to solve the challenges preventing children from accessing quality education.
“The country or the government needs to invest more in education because we are talking about the development of the human resource and so if we don’t invest, how do we recoup? How do we benefit from it? We cannot benefit and so investment in education is key. At the community level, whatever structure is being put up, furniture and learning materials, the community members are supposed to take care of it but sometimes you find that some go to remove the doors, ease in the classrooms and do all sorts of funny things and so whatever resources we have, we must take care of it.” She stressed.
Some learners expressed excitement for the engagement as they explained that access to sanitary pads, teenage pregnancy, and availability of learning materials as the major challenges affecting their education.
