Religious, cultural beliefs should not be hindrance to girl's education

-DCE

Offinso (Ash), Feb 4, GNA- Prejudices, religious and cultural beliefs should not be allowed to be hindrance to girls' education in the country, Mr Joseph Oduro, Offinso District Chief Executive, has said. The wrong perception by a section of the society about girl's education, he said, is a great setback to the government's vigorous promotion of gender balanced and equity education for all Ghanaians. Mr Oduro was closing a week-long girl-child education awareness creation programme on Monday organised by the Offinso district education directorate at Anyankaso near Offinso under the theme: "Give the Child a Chance - You Will Never Regret".

The activities included a float, drama sketches, quiz competition, video shows, fora and a durbar on education promotion. Mr Oduro said the scientific, technological, information and communication advancement in the modern world demands that education becomes gender sensitive and balanced.

Miss Christiana Agyare Boateng, Offinso District Director of Education, advised females in the society, especially the literates to lead exemplary lives worthy of emulation by the young girls. She also advised schoolgirls to be morally upright and disciplined and refrain from any acts that may affect them in future.

Miss Ernestina Wonkyi, the Offinso District Girl-Child Education Co-ordinator, said with support and intervention from the Department for International Development (DFID) of the United Kingdom, school drop-out rate among girls has reduced drastically in the district.

She said enrolment and retention of school-going children has also increased as a result of intensive home visits, formation of girl clubs and other educational awareness creation programmes and activities. Miss Wonkyi advocated the formation of Queen Mothers Association to interact regularly with schoolgirls on good counselling and formation of good habits and attitudes.

Nana Adarkwa Ababio, Anyankasohene and Ankobeahene of Offinso traditional area who presided, advised parents and guardians to provide the basic needs of their girl-children and also keep proper supervision over them to prevent them from teenage pregnancies.

The DCE later personally awarded scholarships to four needy primary school girls up to the junior secondary school (JSS) level.