Literacy rate in Volta Region is appalling

Anloga, May 31, GNA - Professor Victor Gadzekpo, President of Central University College at Oyibi near Accra on Friday expressed concern about the low literacy rate in the Volta Region, particularly in Anlo Traditional Area.

He therefore appealed to parents to take advantage of the free education policy at the basic level to enrol their children in school. Professor Gadzekpo expressed the concern at the launch of the 50th Anniversary of Anlo Senior High School (ANSECO) at the weekend at Anloga.

The celebration is scheduled for April next year. He said 48.7 per cent literacy rate for the Region and 50 per cent for the Anlo area was not good, stressing that an area could only make giant strides in development when its literacy rate was above 90 per cent.

Professor Gadzekpo said the 2000 Population and Housing Census showed that girls drop out figures of 78 per cent from Junior High School (JHS) to the Senior High School (SHS) and 35 per cent from SHS upwards was appalling.

He said this situation should be a matter of concern to all and sundry. "We in Anlo would have to seriously sit up, reflect on the figures and get our kids to school," Professor Gadzekpo stated. "We must not wait for government to tell us before we send our children to school.

"This is the only way for us as a people to develop out intellectual capacities which would eventually lead to the creation of jobs and attaining wealth in our localities," he said. Professor Gadzekpo reminded the people that land for farming, which was their main occupation, was becoming limited. He observed that they also lacked the technology in modern day fishing and therefore had no choice but to send their children to school so that they could return to assist develop the area. Professor Gadzekpo said girl enrolment in schools in the Anlo area was not encouraging despite the higher women population in the area. He described structures at ANSECO as demoralizing, saying the school needed more classrooms, infrastructure for boarding as well as transport facilities.

Professor Gadzekpo appealed to Government and Keta Municipal Assembly to assist improve facilities at the school. He asked past and present students to assist in making the school much better to attract the best students from all parts of the country. "Students must not follow the world, vain things and never give in to bad peer pressure and must submit themselves to school rules," he stated Mr Wilberforce K Azumah, Headmaster of the School said current total student population was 1,251 out of which 568 were girls and a teaching staff of 52.

He called for the early implementation of the model school programme in the school. Mr Azumah said ANSECO continued to chalk enviable positions in both curriculum and extra-curriculum activities. He said in 2007 and 2008 the school emerged champions in the national constitution game competition.