NGO expresses worry over out of school children

Koblimahigu (N/R), April 14, GNA - The Muslim Relief Association of Ghana (MURAG), an Islamic NGO has observed that, despite the introduction of the capitation grant, many children in the Northern Region were still out of school. Mr Halid Baba Yahaya, Executive Director of the Northern Sector Branch office of MURAG disclosed this on Friday at a sensitisation forum at Koblimahigu community, a suburb of Tamale on this year's Global Week of Action on Education, slated for April 24 to April 30. Mr Yahaya said a study by the Tamale office of the MURAG into "Children out of school" in the Kolimahhigu community indicated that a great number of children were still out of school, despite the introduction of the capitation grant. The study was to find out how education was developed in the community, community members' attitude to education, the calibre of teachers in the schools and the educational gap between the boy-child and the girl-child.

He said the problem of the out of school-children has something to do with ignorance and called on community members to take interest in the education of their children, which was the surest way of ending their poverty in old age.

Mr Yahaya said the girl-child enrolment in the community was impressive and that the community had committed trained teachers, who could help improve the standards of education in the area. He said the Northern Network for Education Development (NNED) and the Ghana National Coalition on Education (GNCE) both NGOs would soon organise different forums in the Northern Region to educate the public about the need to invest in their children's education. He appealed to all partners in education to show commitment and fully participate in this year's Global Week of Action on Education to improve the educational system in the country.