Ejura-Sekyedumase suffers from teenage pregnancy and early marriages

Ejura (Ash), July 19, GNA - The Ghana Education Service (GES) has identified teenage pregnancy and early marriages as major challenges confronting the girl-child education in the Ejura-Sekyedumase district.

Added to these, are the problems of irresponsible parenting and child labour.

Mr Gregory Agana Amoah, District Director of Education, said to help salvage the situation, the GES acting with the Federation of African Women Educationists (FAWE) and the United Nations International Children's Education Fund (UNICEF) had stepped up the campaign to assist parents to appreciate the importance of ensuring that girls were not only enrolled in school but retained.

He said apart from the organization of public education forums in the various communities, they GES are also using the local FM radio station to carry the message across.

Mr Amoah was addressing the Ashanti Regional girls' education durbar at Ejura, which was held under the theme "Encouraging Girls to Stay in School for the Better Ghana Agenda."

It was attended by queens, parents, market women, civil society organizations, opinion leaders and school children.

Mr Amoah said he was confident that the measures that had been instituted would produce positive results.

Mr Joseph Kwabena Onyinah, Ashanti Regional Director of Education, said education was the best legacy that parents could bequeath to their children and therefore they should do everything to make sure all their children receive education.

He encouraged teachers to also see to it that the school environment becomes child-friendly.

Mr Onyinah advised young girls to concentrate on their books and desist from acts that would jeopardize their future.

Diasempa Antwi Obugyei, Krontihene of Ejura, expressed worry about the situation where school children in the area, especially the district capital, Ejura, stay on the streets late into the night and said this needed to change.

Nana Akua Tiwaa II, Queen of Ejura, who presided counselled the young girls to stay away from video shows and night outs.