Bawku (U/E), July 30, GNA -A one-day stakeholders' forum on how to formalise non-formal Quranic schools into the mainstream educational system and to reduce the high incidence of child begging in order to improve education in the Bawku Municipality has been held at Bawku. Leaders from the Christians and Moslems communities, the assembly, Ghana Education Service (GES) and some proprietors of the Quranic schools in the municipality attended.

It was organised by Young Christian Workers (YCW) society of the St. Anthony of Padua Parish at Bawku with sponsorship from Bawku East Women Development Association (BEDA).

The YCW President, Mr Denis Asampambila, said a survey conducted on begging for alms in the municipality revealed that all the children were from the Quranic schools.

He said most of the children, who were brought by their parents from neighbouring countries to learn the Quran, had to fend for themselves since the proprietors could not feed such pupils properly. He said even though the learning of Quran was good, formal education would be of immense help to shape the future of these children.

The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Abdul Rahman Gumah, expressed concerns in a speech read for him over the risk these children faced in order to feed themselves. He appealed to Islamic clerics and Quranic proprietors to include formal subjects in their lessons for the pupils to have better perspective of education.

Mr Gumah said the Capitation Grant and feeding programme were meant for such children and appealed to them to take full advantage of it by sending the children to school.

The chairman of the Christian/Moslem Dialogue Committee, Alhaji Salifu Gumah, underscored the need for mutual trust and respect for each other's religion without jeopardising the education of children. The vice-chairman, Rev. Fr. Sylvanus Ayoubire, assured Muslim leaders that their wards sent to Christian schools would not be indoctrinated with the Christian faith.