Need to halt child labour and migration - Suleman

Mr Alhassan Suleman, Project Manager of Action Aid Ghana, Complementary Basic Education (CBE), has appealed to parents to collaborate with stakeholders in the fight against child labour and migration.

He said it was necessary for every child to have access to formal education to acquire knowledge to become responsible in future.

Mr Suleman made the appeal at the graduation of 484 children who completed nine months basic education through the CBE programme at Banda in the Brong Ahafo Region.

The CBE is a Ministry of Education programme targeted to enroll 120,000 out-of-school children between eight and 14 years to be provided with functional literacy education in their mother tongue and enable them to enroll in the school system for three years.

Mr Sulemana said children without formal education engaged in cheap labour and sometimes ended up on the streets resulting in child indiscipline and misfits in the society.

He urged parents, stakeholders and the community to ensure that children acquired formal education, although it was not easy, they should bear in mind that with determination and perseverance they could support their children to higher level in education.

He said the programme was to promote girls education in the 13 communities in the district and optimistic to achieve 50 per cent success.

Mr Sulemana said out of the 500 children who started the programme, 49 per cent were girls, 98.8 per cent success was achieved, 16 per cent dropped out from the school.

He said the programme, sponsored by Department for International Development of UK, was to upgrade the knowledge of the participants, especially senior high students who could not further their education by helping them to improve on their grades.

Nana Boakro Tuduhene, Chief of Banda, urged parents to build on the foundation provided for their children by supporting them with the necessary learning materials.

He urged parents to encourage their children to continue to be in school and not allow the resources invested in them to be in vain.

Facilitators were presented with bicycles, pieces of cloth and roofing sheets for their dedication and commitment to improve the lives of the participants.