Ghana stands to gain by adopting REFLECT model on education- Network

Accra, Sept 6, GNA - Personnel in the Public Service have been calle= d upon to adopt innovative practices like the REFLECT model in its quest to improve on adult education. This has become imperative as the country strives towards the attainment of the goal of 91Education for All'.

REFLECT, an acronym for Regenerated Freirean Literacy through Empowering Community Techniques, enable beneficiaries to identify and plan literacy lessons without having to use primers and other predetermined reading materials, which have to be produced every year at huge costs. REFLECT uses Participatory Rural Appraisal tools like maps, calendars, matrices and diagrams for discussions to identify communities' perceived needs while the participants develop literacy skills and work concurrently with other community members to address the needs so identified. The call was contained in a statement issued by Pamoja Ghana Reflect Network, on the occasion of this year's United Nation's International Literacy Day, which is observed on September 8 each year. The Day seeks to draw global attention to the Power of literacy as a tool for empowerment. The statement signed by Mrs Millicent Akoto, National Co-ordinator, Pamoja Ghana Reflect Practitioners' Network, reiterated the position of UNESCO which sees literacy as a human right issue and as such very essentia= l for eradicating poverty. The statement noted that literacy for all with regard to children, youth and adults was still an unaccomplished goal and all should be done to make it a reality. Statistics released by UNESCO indicates that one in five adults is still not literate and about two-thirds of them are women while 67.4 millio= n children are out of school.

The statement noted that lite racy though essential, it was very expensive in terms of cost and that innovational practices should be adopte= d to ensure that quality literacy education was provided for the achievement of 91Education for All'. The Pamoja Ghana Reflect Network noted that apart from its cost effectiveness, the REFLECT model can be easily adapted for all social development programmes in all fields including Social Work, Community Development, Community Health Education, Parenting, Research, Training and Facilitation in the formal and informal sectors. It said REFECT allowed for planning and evaluation of projects and programmes within all social sectors. "This is what makes REFLECT a very powerful tool and a process, whic= h is very cost effective. It is for this reason that many African countries including Nigeria, Mali, Burkina Faso, Gambia and Sierra Leone have adopted REFLECT for adult literacy." The statement said Pamoja Ghana Reflect Network reiterated its call to government to consider the adoption of the REFLECT tool as we mark this year's International Literacy Day. "The Government of Ghana should consider adopting this international= ly proven tool and process for its numerous development agenda within the Ministries, Departments and Agencies, particularly for Districts Assembly projects and for Non-Formal Adult literacy education programmes in the country."

The statement also lauded Pamoja Ghana Reflect Network for the spirit of volunteerism adopted by some Ghanaians who were working tirelessly to improve the rate of literacy among their compatriots in deprived communities. "In their quest to put smile on the face of people in such communiti= es, these volunteers tend to sacrifice their careers in order to contribute to development programmes in their local communities." The statement commended Mr Roland Kofi Mbui, a 36- year old man from Saboba in the Northern Region, who is currently the Executive Director of Rural Integrated Literacy and Development Programme, (RILADEP) for his selflessness. "Mr Kofi Mbui, who is 36 years old with the burning desire to improv= e on the literacy rate in his community abandoned a promising career as Sales and Marketing Executive in the financial sector and relocated to his home area in 2008 to work with RILADEP an NGO into the Konkomba, literacy Projec= t and other developmental activities."