UNICEF rep asks parents to enrol children in their formative years

Ernest Owusu-Abrokwa, Agency Project Lead at Activ8 and a UNICEF Representative has called on parents to enrol their children in school in their formative years to enable them to maximise their future wellbeing.

He said the formative years of children entailed their emotional, social and physical development that has a direct effect on their overall growth into adulthood.

He made this call at the Launch of the Right Age Enrolment Campaign (RAEC) in Hohoe in the Volta region sponsored by UNICEF in collaboration with Ministry of Education and Ghana Education Service (GES) and the USAID.

He said as standard, every child of school-going age should be enrolled in Kindergarten at age four.

He said Right Age Enrolment Campaign is aimed to sensitize the public on the essence of RAEC, achieve the Right of the Child to education, eliminate or reduce high rate of Gross enrolment in schools, identify obstacles and help find suitable remedies and ensure excellent basic cycle education in a conducive environment.

Mr. Owusu-Abrokwa said UNICEF and the Ministry of Education and the GES have identified 30 Districts and Municipalities to partner with on the Right Age Enrolment Campaign activation.

He noted that a total of 260 District Education Officers were trained between 2016 and 2017 across 20 districts in Community/Social mobilization strategies, Behaviour analysis, development and interpersonal communication skills as efforts to make the campaign successful.

Madam Gladys Amenya, the Hohoe Municipal Education Director said a 2018/2019 data on Education in the Municipality shows that 43.14 per cent of children of school-going age have not enrolled at the right age.

She said the situation tends to affect the retention of the child, proper mental development, and acquisition of skills and interpersonal and social behaviour of pupils.

Mr. Andrews Teddy Ofori, the Hohoe Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) said children should not be allowed to waste their formative years at home instead being educated and urged participants to be agents in ensuring that children are enrolled at the appropriate age.

He also noted that the unavailability in schools in some deprived areas where children have to walk distances to school affects the enrolment ages of some children.

Madam Akpene A. Adeti, Early Childhood Development and Basic One Coordinator, Hohoe Municipal Education Office noted that although efforts by successive governments to make Basic and Secondary education accessible, some children of school-going ages are still not in school.

She said there is, therefore, the need for parents, traditional and religious and opinion leaders, teachers and pupils to collaborate and support the Right Age Enrolment Campaign.

She tasked teachers to show love and respect to all children, use concrete teaching materials, plan and deliver lessons systematically and make teaching child-centred to help in children’s development.

She also called on parents to guide and direct their children’s learning by serving as primary educators, encourage and support children’s interest and unique ways of learning.