Head teacher calls for financial support to keep the girl child in school

The St. Stephens Roman Catholic (R/C) Basic School at Bodomase, in the Sekyere Kumawu District of Ashanti, has held its 75th Anniversary celebration with a call on Government and stakeholders to commit more financial resources towards the educational needs of the girl-child.

This would help keep girls in school to curb the rising incidence of the girl child attrition, especially in the rural communities, where the lack of even sanitary pads and other basic educational needs, can compel some of them to stay away from school during every menstrual period.

Mrs Agnes Osei, the Assistant head teacher of the school, speaking at the anniversary ceremony, explained that, the needy girl is are most times caught up in a vicious cycle of loss of contact hours, leading to poor academic performance and a complete loss of interest in school and finally becoming a drop out.

She said the cycle doesn’t end there as the idle but needy girl becomes predisposed to teen age pregnancy, unsafe abortion and related ills of society. ‘‘Situations like these coupled with other factors such as parental neglect, poverty, lack of enforcement of laws on the rights of the girl child, among others, undermines a girl child education’s potential to contribute to an enlightened society and a formidable workforce needed for national development”, she added Mrs. Osei added that the strong role and contribution of educated women in families, child upbringing, churches and even in the political arena necessitates the prime attention and investment in girl child education. Mr. Jude Owusu, the Head teacher of the Junior High School (JHS) appealed for support to construct a teachers’ common room, and the provision of furniture, computers and a toilet facility to add to the current 6-seater Kumasi Ventilated Improved-Pit (KVIP), which is woefully inadequate for the over 535 pupils and 45 teachers of the school.

Mr. Kwasi Owusu, a retired Deputy Director of the Controller and Accountant General Department and an Old student, urged the children to study hard to reach higher heights in their academic pursuits.

Reverend Father Michael Gyebi, a Catholic Priest and the Local Manager of the school called for strong parenting and guidance from both parents and teachers and pleaded with the teachers to be very tolerant and patient in the handling of the school children.

He said the contribution of the Roman Catholic Church to the community and nation at large, especially in the area of education, is commendable and worth celebrating.