Kumasi, May 1, GNA - Government has been urged to give priority to youth and adult literacy to curb the falling standards of education to facilitate national development. There is the need to increase access to quality basic education for all, particularly the disadvantaged and people living in the rural areas. Mr. Kwadwo Owusu, Ashanti Region Co-ordinator for the Ghana National Education Coalition Campaign (GNECC), a non-governmental organisation (NGO), made the call at a day's seminar in Kumasi on Thursday. It was organised by the GNECC, under the theme "literacy for all, a challenge to national development", as part of activities marking Global Action Week in the region.

Mr. Owusu said "If we want to achieve socio-economic development, drastic reduction of illiteracy among the youth and adults must be achieved". He said the NGO was committed to sensitising policy makers and stakeholders on the need to integrate policies on quality education into development plans and channel resources into such programmes. Mrs. Aba Oppong, Regional Coordinator at the Centre for Development of the People (CEDEP), presenting an overview of the research, said that literacy of the girl-child would help reduce child and maternal mortality, HIV/AIDS infection and preventable diseases in the country. She called for education opportunities for every child of school going age.