Govt encourages girl-child education - Director

Agona Nsaba, May 6, GNA - The government is doing all it can with support from its development partners to improve girl-child education. Girls are encouraged to pursue all subjects in the school curriculum with Guidance and Counselling Units at regional, district and school levels to help unearth talents of individual pupils and students. Mrs Edna Yaa Adjepong-Takpuie, Agona District Director of Education, speaking at the first anniversary of the Nsaba Science Foundation for Girl Child Education at Agona Nsaba in the Central region, said some parents considered formal education for girl child as a waste of resources they would end up in the kitchen.

She pointed out that it was true that areas such decision making and home management were for girls while engineering, building and construction and the study of science, mathematics and technical skills were the preserve of men.

Mrs Adjepong-Takpuie stated that women had played a second fiddle to men for far too long and attributed this to social and cultural barriers that had discouraged girls from seeking equal opportunities in life. The District Director called on the individuals, organisations and religious bodies and communities to form Girl Clubs to avoid teenage pregnancies, HIV/AIDS and other sexual transmitted diseases. She appealed to the parents to get their children of school going age and dropouts enrolled.

Professor Kojo Fosu, Director of the Foundation said the programme started with 10 girls, two from each from the five Junior Secondary Schools at Agona Nsaba but now had 40.

He called on citizens of the Traditional Area to support the programme financially and materially to assist more girls to get access to study computer science.

The Director stated that the Foundation's financial position was weak, adding that, it was struggling to renovate a building offered by Nsaba Presbyterian Church for the programme. He said it would cost the Foundation 20 million cedis and appealed for more computers and financial support.