Children avoid school to engage in economic activities

The assembly member for Kubease, a community lying on the Kumasi-Accra Highway, has expressed worry over the increasing rate at which children there are deserting the classroom to engage in economic activities.

They have taken advantage of a tollbooth erected right in the middle of the town and the usual heavy vehicular traffic to do brisk business – selling sachet water, plantain chips, fruits, sweets and other items to motorists and travelers.

Mr. Richmond Owusu Kwarteng, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the situation was “very disheartening”.

Even more disturbing, he said, was the fact that many of these children were being encouraged by their parents – they seem not to care about the future of these young ones.

He said several attempts had been made by way of engagement between the Ejisu-Juaben Municipal Education Directorate and the community to reverse the disturbing trend but that had not been successful.

Mr. Kwarteng, who is also the assistant head teacher of the Kubease M/A Junior High School (JHS), said the other downside of the growing interest of the pupils in money-making activities had been the poor academic performance of the local school.

“Most of them have little or no time to study after the close of school and as should be expected, they are not doing well.”

He, however, vowed not to give up the fight to provide protection for the children to assure them of a better future, saying, he would go to every length to get the assembly to enact a bye-law to prohibit pupils and students from getting anywhere near the booth.