Ghana government urged to fight poverty

An Educationist on Friday called on the government to fight against poverty in order to achieve the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) on education by 2015.

Mrs. Rose Vukunia, Assistant Director in charge of Supervision and Monitoring of Lekma Schools, told students at a gathering in Accra due to poverty children have dropped from school to pursue street hawking and other activities inimical to their long term growth.

She said several workshops had been held to implement education policies to enhance effective teaching and learning to achieve the MDG on education.

She noted that an awareness programme on education was held for heads of schools for them to educate their students and public.

Mrs. Vukunia said despite these efforts, some parents had been withdrawing their children from school to run errands for them and engaging them in various activities such as trading and mending of fishing nets.

She called on the government to solve infrastructure and logistical challenges such as office accommodation for the District Education Office and lack of transportation for the Lekma Director of Education.

Mr. Geoffrey K. Ocansey, National Programme Officer of Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition, speaking on the theme: “Make Noise for MDGs” said education had been identified as the best tool for fighting poverty and recording other benefits like reduction in cases of infant and maternal mortality, increasing economic gains and empowering people.

He added that demands on government included the need to uphold persons’ right to information, end violence against girls in schools and provision of facilities that were gender and disability friendly.

Mr. Ocansey called on teachers, education workers, Ghana Education Service, Ministry of Education, parents and the media to maximum attention to issues on education and all other MDGs.

Source: GNA