CLEAR Partners Address Weak Education Delivery

As part of the implementation of the Citizen-led Action for Educational Accountability and Responsiveness in Ghana (CLEAR) Project, a baseline validation and reflection workshop was held in the month of August to enhance shared understanding among project actors in respect of the project targets and the baseline findings.

The baseline assessment among other things established the state of affairs of education delivery in the project districts. The key issues of focus were; the few number and weak capacity of citizen groups to demand accountability from district education authorities, , low awareness levels of citizen groups about relevant educational policies and structures, weak understanding of educational policies, working relationships between citizens and education sector structures (duty bearers) at the district level and community levels.

KEY SUCCESSES

Mobilization of a total of 180 citizens groups including youth groups across 60 communities from the six (6) operation districts, who have already started documenting the varied issues that affect quality education provision in these districts.

Partners also reflected and shared ideas on ways to overcome public sector institutional bureaucracy and to engender friendly spaces for engagement with the duty bearers.

Education Stakeholders call for Gender Parity

Regional Stakeholder Forum on Education Delivery in the Northern region.

Dubbed “The Education Dialogue Series”, the forum is held every quarter and is part of a broader initiative by SfL to rally support, interest and initiatives towards building a concerted action for educational development in the Northern region of Ghana.

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Held under the theme “Achieving Gender Parity in Education: Girls Enrolment, Retention and the Re-entry Policy for Pregnant School Girls and Young Mothers the forum brought together key regional and district stakeholders from relevant government institutions and the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) . The forum inspired reflections and conversations on the Implementation of Guidelines for Pregnancy Prevention among School Girls and MoGCSP Strategic Plan”-Status, challenges, lessons and way forward as well as regional level efforts and programmes for achieving Gender Parity in Education.

MAIDEN GIRLS CAMP 2022

The month of August ushered in our maiden Annual District Girls Camps Initiative. This is part of efforts to promote girls’ education, by enabling platforms aimed at building their confidence and assertiveness and for them to freely discuss topical issues that affects their active participation in school.

The Camps were organized in the Savelugu, Kumbungu, Karaga, Saboba and Mion Districts of the Northern Region of Ghana. The initiative is under the Empowerment for Life Programme with the aim of promoting educational opportunities and safe spaces for vulnerable girls in deprived communities. A total of 500 girls from 10 communities across the 5 districts participated in the events.

The 3-day camps simultaneously held in all the districts provided friendly spaces for the young girls to learn, share, play and cross fertilize ideas. It also offered them the opportunity to meet and interact with the relevant district education authorities in their respective districts, received guidance and mentoring support from selected role models as well as engaged in games and tailor-made activities to enhance their confidence and public speaking skills.

The camps were organized in collaboration with the District Directorates of Education. They lauded the initiative and pledged their continuous support and commitments to such events.

The colorful events offered such memorable experience and exposure for the girls and left them beaming with smiles and excitements throughout the 3-day period. It was an event of networking, building of new relationships and life skills relevant to guide their life choices.

Amina Issahaku a student of Pishigu D/A Primary in the Karaga District in an endless state of joy echoed that “so is a lie that Kayayo gifts a lot of money, hearing the bad things about Kayayo today, I have changed my plan. I will never ever think of going to Kayayo again. I now want to be a nurse and work in our community clinic".