Director expresses concern over teenage pregnancies among school girls

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Nyariga Doone, (UE), July 7, GNA - The Bolgatanga Municipal Director in charge of Girl Child Education, Mrs Rose Avonsige, has expressed concern over the spate of teenage pregnancies among school girls in the municipality.

She was speaking at the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) of the Nyariga Doone Girls Primary School in the Bolgatanga Municipality at the weekend.

Mrs Avonsige urged the girls to concentrate on their studies since that would enable them to acquire skills to make them employable.

She said some girls had stopped formal education due to pregnancies which could jeopardize their future adding that notwithstanding this, parents should place premium on educating the girl child instead of giving more attention to boys.

Mrs Avonsige said evidence had shown that educated girls who were gainfully employed contributed significantly to helping their families.

She assured the school that the Municipal Directorate of Education was prepared to support it since it was the only first cycle girls' school in the municipality.

Mr Francis Atindana, Municipal Circuit Supervisor, urged the teachers to be proactive in teaching and said the Ghana Education Service would send more teachers to the school if the need arose.

The PTA proposed the establishment of Community Educational Development Fund which parents would be made to contribute to, to assist the school in its administration.

Mr John Akaribo, Coordinator of the Nyariga Doone Mothers Club, said the club initiated the establishment of the school and integrated it into the mainstream educational system in 1999 with 35 girls. It now had 400 girls.

He said the School would be celebrating its 10th anniversary in September this year to create the awareness of the importance of female education and to draw the attention of policy makers to the needs of the school.

Mr Akaribo appealed to the Municipal Assembly to complete the six room teachers' house initiated by the club to accommodate teachers who commuted about 25 Kilometres daily to and from the school.

He entreated the assembly to extend electricity to the school and said the community had already secured high tension poles.

GNA