Fifty-five pupils, including ten boys in Gumyoko Primary School dropped out of school this academic year.
The pupils, all in the lower Primary who survived on the support provided by the Catholic Relief Services (C.R.S) could not continue their education because C.R.S folded up in September this year because of lack of funding from their donors.
Despite the bleak future of these children it did not bother their parents as some of them commented that, the girls could be baby-minders, or wash ‘pito’ calabash because they would not find anything to do after school just as some of their colleagues.
This was disclosed by the head-teacher of Gumyoko Primary and Junior high School, Madam Beatrice Dahamani this morning when ten bicycles were presented to eight teachers and two community Food Management Committee members in Bawku in the upper East Region.
Madam Dahamani explained that C.R.S had sustained pupils’ interest in education as they supplied to the schools in the three Northern Regions wheat, oil and sorghum which they used in cooking two square nutritious meals daily for the pupils.
She added that since its inception four years ago, that is four October 2004 to September 2008, the pupils were punctual and regular to school as they were assured of regular supply of meals which indeed served the aim of C.R.S for helping children to stay and study at school to prevent them from going hungry.
“It is a sad story now, lateness, absenteeism school drop-out, these are what stare us in the face just because C.R.S can’t provide the usual meals to our children, all due to the fact that parent can’t afford to support their children” she lamented.
The Head teacher said there were 500 pupils in Primary and Junior High School (J.H.S) and 205 in Kindergarten and the latter are currently being taken care of by some volunteers to sustain their interest on the education.
Madam Dahamani who is also the Assembly woman for Binduri electoral Area bemoaned the attitude of fathers who did not show any interest at all in their children’s up-bringing, however, would married more wives, what she termed as “junior wives”.
She explained that children as early as eight to nine years were left on their own to struggle for survival. Some had to afford their uniform and stationeries while the girls were forced by their mothers to baby sit their younger ones as their mothers engage in dry-season gardening at the expense of their education.
She, therefore, made a passionate appeal to Catholic Relief Service to reconsider their stands to resume their good services or the gain so far chalked would be eroded.
She also pleaded with the government to expand the Feeding Programme to cover most deprived schools since only two schools (i.e. St, Peter’s and Suweidia Primary schools) are benefiting from the programme within the Bawku municipality. Some schools that needed such immediate attention included Tansia, Kaadi, Atuba, Nofkolga, Agole, Zawse Baraboga and Daiga all primary and Junior High Schools out of 138 in the Municipality.
The Municipal Chief Executive Hon. Abdulai Abanga expressed his gratitude to the people of Bawku for the maturity they exhibited during 7th December general elections which made the process very peaceful and orderly. He appealed for calm and good neighborliness as we prepare for the presidential run-off on 28th December. He advised the people to avoid intimidations and always remember that “we’re one people first of all before our political groupings”. He called on the beneficiaries to continue in their hard work which earned them the bicycles and also take good care of them to serve the purpose which they were provided. He wished Christians and non-Christians Merry Christmas.
The Municipal Director of Education, Madam Florence Bobi extolled the success of C.R.S which drastically reduced the drop out rate in the entire municipality.
She said that the provision of lunch resulted to great increase in enrolment, improved daily attendance and retention “apart from enjoying the lunch the girl-child was provided with a monthly take-home ration, hence, girls enrolment exceeded that of the boys” she added.
Madam Bobi also suggested C.R.S major funding Agency, USAID, to re-finance C.R.S to continue and carry out more of the Quality Improvement in Primary Schools (QUPS) programmes.
Reading out the criteria in selecting the beneficiaries of the bicycles, Mr., Michael Awini, circuit Supervisor in the office of G.E.S in Bawku said that the award was given on the merit of tireless services the awardees have rendered to their schools and communities.
Also the criteria took into consideration good record keeping, adequate preparation and prompt presentation of monthly reports and termly data collections. Still others were good security of the C.R.S food entrusted to them, proper supervision of meals for the children during preparation among others.
Mr. Awuni said since C.R.S pulled out of the feeding programme, 21 schools and communities have contributed their own food that is being cooked in order to retain the pupils which was the initiative of the beneficiaries but is woefully inadequate.
He mentioned Kuka Primary School, Zabugu primary School and Gentiga Primary School which contributed corn, beans and rice to the tune of GH¢397.50.
Godwin Nkunu
JOUNALIST, ISD - BAWKU
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