Quality Education, Better Future!

A belief in education

Many people believe that education is a tool that people can use to end poverty but for one to obtain quality it has to be supported by provision of adequate Teaching and Learning Materials (TLMs). The universal declaration of Education on Human rights includes as right 26 that "Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stage". In order for the right to education to be fulfilled, adequate Teaching and Learning Materials are to be provided to all basic schools. TLMs include school furniture, chalk ,desk, core text books, just to mention a few.

Teaching and Learning Materials(TLMs) are not only the tools for effective learning for pupils but also a prerequisite for teachers to carry out quality teaching. Just as a hoe is important to a farmer, so is Teaching and Learning Materials are important to both pupils and teachers.

Education at the basic levels serve as a foundation to the pupils’ academic/educational journey. A conducive teaching and learning environment is very important for quality education at the basic level, particularly in literacy and numeracy skills, to build a strong foundation for the students ' future. What is the purpose of building on a weak foundation, knowing it cannot hold itself. The unavailability or inadequacy of TLMs in basic schools is eroding the foundations of our society. This is how serious the inadequate provision of TLM'S is to access to quality education.

Teacher experiences

A teacher in Dabokpa reported that the lack of teaching and learning materials is really affecting their work. “We ask that you help the school with these materials to help us help the children to learn well” he said

Inequality between urban and rural schools

Every year, the West African Examination Council conducts exams to test students. Those who happen to meet the standards are granted admissions to Senior High Schools to pursue their dreams in various courses. The criteria in setting this exams is of standard which means students in the urban as well as those in the rural areas are made to sit for the same exams.

A quick visit to rural schools will make you question the fairness in this method as schools in the rural areas are marginalized and limited in terms of teaching and learning materials. A field visit to Kusulyili in the Tolon district in Northern Ghana shows a frequent dropout of pupils in lower levels and it is due to lack of Teaching and Learning Materials.

Doomed girl drop outs

Numerous young girls drop out of school and engage in pottering. These students especially the girls then seek survival means in urban areas such as carrying loads in exchange for few Ghana Cedis. A practice popularly known as Kayaye in local languages. More often than not these girls become pregnant by room owners who provide them with accommodation since they have no place to sleep and are subjected to the will of “room owners”. This chain of events contributes to vicious cycles of poverty, ignorance, and exploitation for children in Northern Ghana .

Importance of education

It is important to highlight the importance of education in relation to personal and societal growth. Ernest N.Emenyonu argued that "When an educational process is misconceived, the consequences are social-economic chaos, political instability, culture indecorum and moral indiscipline and laxity". Education starts from the basics, thus a weak basic education can affect the overall objective of eradicating poverty on Ghana . Dr M.I Okpara weighed in and observed that "education...unless it is right and purposeful, the people either crawl or limp along."

Whose duty anyway is to provide Teaching and Learning Materials ?

The Human Rights Based Approach which is a core working principal of ActionAid seeks to empower right holders the capacity to demand from duty bearers their fundamental rights. The approach is augmented by the Ghanaian constitution which include the right to quality education at all levels including facilities as espoused in subsection 1-3.

The government of Ghana as duty bearer has the responsibility to fulfill the reason they were appointed to government offices in the first place. Citizens as right holders must hold government officials accountable and demand all basic schools across the country be equipped with the adequate tools in their right quantity to support quality teaching and learning for the younger generations to have a better future.

A call to action

It is in this light we as ActionAid Ghana Global Platform campaigners seek to campaign on the need for adequate supply of teaching and learning materials to all basic schools across the nation. Please join us to demand our rights.

J

oin us in a float for the right to teaching and learning materials this Saturday December 5th, at Jubilee park tamale,from 8:30 am to 1:30 pm.

Fuseini M Hashim

Activist

0246019744

[email protected]