Voluntary Services Overseas adopts education project
Arku Jasmine
Education
An educational project implemented by the Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO) in three deprived districts in northern Ghana has helped to strengthen `educational structures in the beneficiary districts with correspondent increase in quality education.
The project, Tackling Education Inclusively (TENI), is being implemented in the Talensi/Nabdam, Jirapa and West Mamprusi districts with support from Comic Relief, UK.
The Programme Manager of TENI, Mr Eric Duorinaah, told the Daily Graphic that the initiative sought to achieve systemic change by improving transition, completion and quality of basic education for disadvantaged children, particularly girls and children with disability in northern Ghana.
According to him, the assumption underlying TENI was that change could only be achieved when it came from within an individual, community, family, organisation or district.
“TENI therefore engages multiple stakeholders and builds on best practices to tackle underlying causes that prevent children completing and performing in school, including socio-cultural beliefs, poverty barriers, the school environment and quality of teaching and learning,” he said.
He said the project covered the three regions of the north with a focus on the selected districts in which TENI was operating, adding that about 48,000 children from these districts and 25, 000 parents had benefited so far from the intervention.
Commenting on the successes chalked up so far under the project, Mr Duorinaah said “marked success has been made in terms of community mobilisation, strengthening and engagement to address barriers to education and improving the school environment”.
He said most community leaders in the beneficiary communities had taken action by introducing bye-laws that curbed social events that affect children’s participation in school.
“There is evidence that people’s perception on girl child education is starting to change and this is translating into improved learning and retention in schools.
“In Jirapa District in the Upper West, for instance, more parents have stopped sending young school girls out at night to sell 'pito' and other small items which has improved attendance. Many parents are also willing and encouraging their girls to participate in girls clubs and camps, learning tours and Science Technology Mathematics Innovations (STIs) clinics,” he said.
Mr Duorinaah said in the West Mamprusi District, local chiefs through the project had resolved and were teaming up to outlaw night dances popularly called ‘record dance’ which hitherto “resulted in school girls getting pregnant or students not being able to learn during the day as they normally would return from these night dances tired,” he stated further.
He said the project had also encouraged greater community participation in school management “as chiefs, school management committees, parent-teacher-associations and women’s groups constituted a force that was now meeting regularly and deliberating on issues that affected the community and the education of their children.
By Marcelinus Dery/Daily Graphic/Ghana
The project, Tackling Education Inclusively (TENI), is being implemented in the Talensi/Nabdam, Jirapa and West Mamprusi districts with support from Comic Relief, UK.
The Programme Manager of TENI, Mr Eric Duorinaah, told the Daily Graphic that the initiative sought to achieve systemic change by improving transition, completion and quality of basic education for disadvantaged children, particularly girls and children with disability in northern Ghana.
According to him, the assumption underlying TENI was that change could only be achieved when it came from within an individual, community, family, organisation or district.
“TENI therefore engages multiple stakeholders and builds on best practices to tackle underlying causes that prevent children completing and performing in school, including socio-cultural beliefs, poverty barriers, the school environment and quality of teaching and learning,” he said.
He said the project covered the three regions of the north with a focus on the selected districts in which TENI was operating, adding that about 48,000 children from these districts and 25, 000 parents had benefited so far from the intervention.
Commenting on the successes chalked up so far under the project, Mr Duorinaah said “marked success has been made in terms of community mobilisation, strengthening and engagement to address barriers to education and improving the school environment”.
He said most community leaders in the beneficiary communities had taken action by introducing bye-laws that curbed social events that affect children’s participation in school.
“There is evidence that people’s perception on girl child education is starting to change and this is translating into improved learning and retention in schools.
“In Jirapa District in the Upper West, for instance, more parents have stopped sending young school girls out at night to sell 'pito' and other small items which has improved attendance. Many parents are also willing and encouraging their girls to participate in girls clubs and camps, learning tours and Science Technology Mathematics Innovations (STIs) clinics,” he said.
Mr Duorinaah said in the West Mamprusi District, local chiefs through the project had resolved and were teaming up to outlaw night dances popularly called ‘record dance’ which hitherto “resulted in school girls getting pregnant or students not being able to learn during the day as they normally would return from these night dances tired,” he stated further.
He said the project had also encouraged greater community participation in school management “as chiefs, school management committees, parent-teacher-associations and women’s groups constituted a force that was now meeting regularly and deliberating on issues that affected the community and the education of their children.
By Marcelinus Dery/Daily Graphic/Ghana