Bunkpurugu (NR), Nov. 21, GNA - A large number of school children in Primary and Junior High Schools in the Bunkpurugu-Yunyoo District in the Northern Region, have abandoned the classrooms due to protracted ethnic conflicts in the past five years.

The concern was raised by participants at a two-day peace building education workshop for teachers in conflict prone communities in the District, on Friday at Bunkpurugu.

It was organized by the Navrongo-Bolgatanga Diocese of the Catholic Church and funded by the Dialogue and Advocacy for Good Governance of the National Catholic Secretariat.

The participants asserted that even though education was the foundation for development, the violent conflicts had affected teaching and learning as teachers had refused postings to the area. Mr. Evans Dramani, a participant, cited that 11 schools in the Binde North Education Circuit with a population of 1,798 school children had the number reduced by half.

He said at the beginning of the year, Gbedam Primary School had 290 school children but the number had been reduced to 89. The teachers appealed on individuals, Ministry of Education, Ghana Education Service and the Ministry of the Interior and other non-governmental organizations to work as a team to bring peace to the area. Mr. Jonathan Konlang, who represented the District Director of Education, said that the conflict situation had negatively affected the performance of students in the Basic Education Certificate Examination in the area, and the provision of educational infrastructure. He said government was using resources that should have gone into development projects in maintaining order and peace in the area. Mr. Joseph Ayembilla, Acting Diocesan Development Co-ordinator, a facilitated at the workshop, said the Catholic Church was working hard to restore peace to the area, apart from donating relief items to conflict victims and rehabilitation of families.