EDUCATION

Education is closely linked to virtually all dimensions of development- human, economic and social. An educated, technically skilled workforce is critical for long term economic growth. Expanding girl child education has positive effects on fertility, infant mortality and enrollment rates of the next generation. Education is also a key to factor in improving governance as education empowers people, allowing them to develop critical thinking and life skills. Education for all requires bringing the benefits to every member of society, having special attention to girls, indigenous communities, and children living with disabilities, retention of children at risk, combined with multicultural and special education can redress inequities in education.

National statistics indicate the literacy rate among adults in northern Ghana is lower than 5% and less than 40% of children up to 14 years attend school. This leaves about 60% of children out of school, most of whom are girls. Thus the majority of children does not complete the compulsory nine years of basic schooling and consequently do not attain a basic level of literacy. In some districts more than one-third of the population of school-going age is not attending school

Northern Ghana also suffers from an acute shortage of teachers in rural areas leading to a situation where many schools are simply not productive. Although the challenge facing teachers who teach in rural areas of Ghana are similar in terms of poor school infrastructure and accommodation, the northern regions present a particularly difficult challenge for teachers, especially newly trained teachers. Rates of educational attainment and literacy are of interest from a food security perspective because children without basic education are less likely to get regular employment and income and remain entrenched in poverty, thereby increasing their risk of food insecurity. Rates of literacy in the three northern regions are much lower than the national average. According to the 2010 Population and Housing census, the literacy rates for those aged 15 and above for the Northern, Upper East and Upper West regions are just 33%, 41% and 40% respectively compared with a corresponding national literacy rate of 72%. Literacy rates appear to be improving however as rates for over 10 year olds are slightly higher, both nationally and for all three northern regions.

Rates of basic education completion are also lower across the three northern regions (for people aged 15 and above). While similar proportions of people achieve post-secondary level education or above, far fewer in northern Ghana complete junior high school or senior high school. For example, only 22% of northern Ghanaians complete junior secondary school, and only 9% senior high school compared with 31% and 22% nationally. As a consequence, the rates of primary-only education in northern Ghana are much higher at 35%, compared with 17% nationally.

GOAL

Our goal will be to ensure sustainable quality basic education for all through active community participation

OBJECTIVES

• To promote the enrollment and retention of all children of school going age in school.
• To encourage parents to keep children in school especially the girl child.
• To advocate for the elimination of schools under trees, as well as making education more affordable and accessible to rural communities.
• To assist communities and other educational stakeholders to mobilize educational resources for quality education.
• To identify brilliant but needy children and assist them in their educational pursuit.
• To promote girl child education.

The strategy for Caring Volunteers Network in its operational areas will be to push, advocate and engage stakeholders in education to ensure the Sustainable Development Goals are attained especially goal 4 which advocates for all inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting life-long learning opportunities for all.