'Ban Friday wear in public schools'

The Eastern Regional Multi-Sectorial Committee on Children (ERMCC), has called for a ban on Friday wear in public basic schools to ensure that all children have access to education without any hindrance.

The Committee noted that, the Friday wear craze, which has become a norm in public basic schools, if not checked, could be an impediment to education for many children.

According to the Committee, the government and for that matter the Ghana Education Service (GES) must ensure that all activities that was likely to affect the realization of the Universal Free Compulsory Basic Education (FCUBE) was stopped without fear or favour.

The Committee made the call at its third quarter meeting in Koforidua, when it reviewed progress reports from the GES, the School Feeding Programme and the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) on the state of education and children’s welfare in the Region.

According to some studies conducted by the Committee, some public schools sacked children without ‘Friday wear’ to go home, putting undue pressure on parents, resulting in absenteeism, whiles many children were also sacked for failing to pay some fees or levies.

In recent times, most public basic schools have adopted the Friday wear style by acquiring different uniforms to be worn on Fridays by pupils and teachers, the practice has become so fashionable that most children whose parents were unable to afford refuse to go to school.

The price of a ‘Friday wears’ ranges from GhC60.00 to GhC90.00 cedis per dress or shirt and shorts depending on the fabric, style and school.

The Committee identified the Friday wear, Parent Teacher Association (PTA) dues and levies which include toiletries, examination fees, building and maintenance among others as a serious threat to education that needed to be critically examined.

Other issues discussed at the meeting also bothered on the influx of game centres in the New Juaben Municipality and other districts which were patronised by young children at the expense of their education.

Related issues centred on school buses and drugs among schoolchildren.

The Committee is made up of representatives from state institutions and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) working in the interest of children under the auspices of the Department of Children under the Ministry of Children, Gender and Social Protection.