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| Richard Amoah, Programmes Coordinator of CBE, (Extreme Left) |
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| Country Director of Afrikids doing the honours |
Over five thousand, 400 out
of school children in six operational districts of the Northern and Upper East
Regions have been transitioned into formal education under the Complementary
Basic Education, CBD, Programme spearheaded by Afrikids Ghana.
Out of the
number, a total of thousand seven hundred and, 40 learners representing 96.67
percent in the Bawku/Binduri districts had made it to the graduation point
after completing a nine month cycle.
At this year's graduation ceremony held at
Zabugu in Bawku, the Country Director of Afrikids, Nicholas Kumah, expressed
satisfaction at the performance of graduants in the first and second cycles
having been supported by the GES and the assemblies.
The partnership, he noted,
enforces the readiness of the beneficiary districts to ensure the
sustainability of the intervention after Afrikids has exited. He however called
for the provision of additional support such as uniforms and other supplies for
the learners.
The first cycle of the nine
months Complementary Basic Education, CBE, programme in the Bawku and Binduri
communities marks a significant milestone in the collective effort of the
government, Afrikids Ghana and its implementing agencies.
The Ghana CBE is a
functional literacy programme initiated by government to provide all out of
school children with the needed numeracy and literacy skills in their mother
tongue.
The intervention is to enable them have access to basic education
through an accelerated approach in response to their educational needs. These children are identified by the
various stakeholders including Afrikids Ghana, the GES and the Department of
Social Welfare.
The project works by forming community committees from which
facilitators are trained to provide the transitional education.
The 2010 housing and census, has revealed that there are about, 540,127
children between the ages 8-14 that have never attended school or have dropped
out of school due to poverty.
In the Upper East Region, an estimated 20,000 children are said to be out of
school. The situation is not different in other deprived regions of the
country. Government realizing the fate of
these unfortunate children developed the CBE programme, as a catalyst to get
them enrolled into formal school.
With funding by DFID and USAID from the
American People, Afrikids Ghana had over the years facilitated the training of
CBE learners in beneficiary districts of Bongo, Pusiga, Talensi, Nabdam, Bawku
and Binduri including some selected communities in the Karaga district of the
Northern Region.
Due to the successful outcome of the intervention, Afrikids
Ghana had been offered the opportunity to pursue the next cycle which is
expected to benefit a total of four thousand, 400 learners covering five
districts.
In view of this, Bawku and Binduri districts are expected to recruit
another thousand, 500 out of school children.
The graduation of the CBE
beneficiaries at Zabugu was to exemplify the strong commitment by Afrikids to
see to the welfare of poor and disadvantaged children education.
The Country
Director of Afrikids, Nicholas Kumah acknowledged the immense contribution of
the GES and the assemblies in the realization of the programme.
He said the
level of partnership gives the assurance that they were up to the challenge of
sustaining the programme after Afrikids had exited. Mr. Kumah pledged Afrikids willingness
to partner other stakeholders in making basic education much accessible to the
vulnerable.
In an address, the Bawku District Director of Education, Joseph
Azuntaba encouraged the graduants to exhibit high level of commitment when the
transition and mainstream takes off in September this year.
He said as part its
educational strategic plans, GES is prepared to take ownership of the CBE and
expand it to cover more out of school children when Afrikids finally round up the
programme.
Mr Azuntaba encouraged the support of stakeholders in education to
this vision a reality.
The Programme Coordinator for the CBE Programme, Richard Amoah entreated the directorates
of education, Assemblies and the CBE beneficiary communities to play their
respective roles to compliment the effort of government and Afrikids in
bringing out the best in children who through no fault of theirs are languishing
on the streets at the expense of being in the classroom.
The CBE
learning process was facilitated by 72 facilitators drawn from the beneficiary
communities.
They were made to benefit from two capacity building training
workshops in requisite skills and methodologies.
As a motivating factor,
bicycles and allowances were given to the facilitators to whip up their zeal
and enthusiasm to offer tuition for the children. We wish the graduants well as
they prepare to enroll into formal education.
Each graduate received a certificate of completion of the programme.
Afrikids Ghana has also made available 22,000 pieces of exercise books with each of them receiving 4 pieces with pencils and erazors
GBC
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