Regional News of Tuesday, 14 October 2003

Source: GNA

Girl Education Unit makes impact in Upper East

Bolgatanga, Oct. 14, GNA - Two girls are reading Medical Science at the University of Ghana, Legon and the University of Development Studies as a result of effective interventions by the Girl Education Unit in the Upper East Region.

Another girl is reading Community Nutrition and many others are pursuing courses in Computer Science at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi.

These were made known by Madam Florence Bobi, Regional Co-ordinator of the Unit, at a day's workshop on the country's educational policies on Monday in Bolgatanga.

The training was organised by the Centre for Sustainable Development Initiative (CENSUDI), a local non-governmental organisation, in collaboration with the Commonwealth Education Fund, for stakeholders from the region.

Madam Bobi said since the establishment of the Division in 1997, more girls have enrolled in schools than boys in the region but the outfit could not retain all the children in the classroom. She said apart from awarding scholarships to some brilliant but needy girls in basic and second cycle schools, the Unit was also sensitising people on the importance of girl-child education in national reconstruction.

The Regional Co-ordinator said though the region had reached an advanced stage in the implementation of gender policies and strategies, the Unit lacked sufficient resources and donor support to enhance its work.

Miss Francisca Issaka, Executive Director, CENSUDI, said the workshop was organised to educate the participants on government policies aimed at promoting education in the country.