About 1,450 children not in school in Adaklu-Anyigbe

Kpetoe, June 13, GNA - About 1,450 children of school going age in the Adaklu-Anyigbe District are not in school. They are either engaged in light/hazardous labour such as, kente weaving or selling in "chop bars". Ms Christine Kugbadzor, Adaklu-Anyigbe District Director of Girl Child Education of the Ghana Education Service, disclosed this at a ceremony to mark this year's World Day against Child Labour in the District.

She said majority of such children were girls, thus affecting girl child education in the area. Ms Kugbadzor attributed these forms of child labour in the District to irresponsible parenting, illiteracy and polygamy among other factors. She noted that some parents in the District shirk their responsibility of catering adequately for the basic needs of their children.

Ms Kugbadzor said in polygamous marriages, the bread winner, mostly men concentrate on a "favourite wife's" children neglecting others who are compelled to engage in labour for survival. She said the situation called for a concerted effort from stakeholders in the District to solve the problem and urged teachers to make school environment child-friendly to attract children to school. Mr Mawuli Kwame Dabi, Adaklu-Anyigbe District Chief Executive in an address noted that, Government's Capitation Grant and the School-Feeding Programme were introduced to check some of these problems. He asked teachers to educate children and their parents on the effects of child labour and desist from sending school children on errands during school hours.