Bawku placed lowest in BECE results

Bawku (UER), Nov. 11, GNA - The exodus of teachers in the Bawku Municipality during the ethnic conflict in 2000 has seriously affected the teacher-pupil ratio and is a major cause of the low educational standard in the area.

This was made known by the Bawku Municipal Chief Executive, Mr. Abdul-Rahman Gumah in an address to various women's groups engaged in conflict prevention at a day's workshop in Bawku.

The workshop was organised by Women in conflict and Peace Building (WINCOPA) a Bolgatanga-based non-governmental organisation. Mr. Gumah said in 2003, Bawku placed 94th in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) nation-wide while this year it placed 104 out of the 110 districts in the country.

He said the conflict has also adversely affected the living standard of the people in various ways and if the unstable conditions continues what guarantees are there that educational standards will improve, he asked.

Mr. Gumah said women in their own right are naturally endowed with negotiation abilities and he has no doubts that the workshop would expose them to skills in conflict prevention and peace building. He charged the women to campaign for peace as the political campaigns warm up.

He also urged the women to use their skills to dialogue with the youth on the need for peace before, during and after the general elections.

The highly emotional women at the workshop vowed to do everything in their power to bring about peace, saying they are fed up of the destruction and violence during elections.

Some said they have been widowed with their children because of the clashes and though a lot have registered, they will not vote because people have started leaving the town for their own safety.