30% of pupils dropout of schools in Bolgatanga

Bolgatanga, May 10, GNA - Bolgatanga Municipality in the Upper East Region is faced with 30 per cent dropout of pupils as it embarks on education for all by 2015.

Mr Ibrahim Musah of Centre for Sustainable Development Initiatives, a Bolgatanga based non-governmental organisation disclosed this at a community durbar on quality basic education at the 2007 Global Action Week celebration in Bolgatanga.

Mr. Musah said a mapping exercise on quality education in two towns in the municipality revealed that three out of ten or 30 per cent of school-going age were still out of school.

He said 66 houses in Azinsum were mapped where 176 children were found to be out of school. Eighty-four of the children were girls and 92 boys. A total of 378 children were however in school. He said in Zongo in the heart of the town, 22 houses were mapped producing 293 children of school-going age made up of 151 boys and 142 girls. Of these numbers 133 boys and 129 girls were in school while 18 boys and 13 girls were out of school.

Mr Musah said data gathered revealed that some of the dropouts in the two communities engaged in tomato farming in Azinsum and truck pushing and petty trading in Zongo.

He said the study revealed some difficulties teachers faced in their effort to promote quality basic education.

He mentioned inadequate school infrastructure, furniture, inadequate teaching and learning materials, parental negligence and weak school Management Committees and Parent Teaching Associations. Mr Musah said the study recommended that more classroom accommodation and teaching and learning materials be provided to meet the increased enrolment and the capitation grant increased to 60,000 per child per term to meet the basic cost of quality education in the North. He commended the sponsors, Northern Network for Education Development for sponsoring the durbar with support from Oxfam, GB, IBIS and Commonwealth Education Fund.