The students of the University Practice Senior High School (UPSHS) in Cape Coast have been tasked to serve as role models to school-going-age children who do not attend school.
This, some stakeholders in education believe can help increase the number of school-going-age children currently not enrolled in any school.
During a community engagement by the Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (IEPA), UCC, in some communities in Cape Coast where school dropout seems to be high, the institute found that those who are currently not attending any school are in this situation because of factors such as not having anyone to inspire them among others.
This has been described as worrying and a challenge needing immediate attention.
The Director General of IEPA, UCC, Dr. Michael Boakye-Yiadom notes that one way to address this problem is for students enrolled in school to become role models to such children.
He, therefore, tasked them saying “When you go back home, go to such a child in your community and tell him or her that it is good that you go to school, and if you don’t go to school, the future is not clear. We want you to know your future is clear; we want you to know what you want to become in the future and encourage that child, that boy or girl to go to school. Be a role model for that child and be a mentor to that child.”
Dr. Michael Boakye-Yiadom was speaking at a forum the IEPA held in collaboration with the Cape Coast Metro Directorate of Education for students of the UPSHS in commemoration of the 2023 International Day of Education.
Now, the 2021 Population and Housing Census revealed that a total of 1.2 million children between the ages of 4 and 17 do not attend school and out of the number, 942,427 children have never attended school.
To Dr. Boakye-Yiadom, when the students become role models to the out-of-school kids, they can help Ghana bring to the classroom, some of the 1.2 million children in the country who do not attend school.
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Source: Rosemond Asmah/ATLFMNEWS
