Govt to adopt efficient adult literacy approach - Baah-Wiredu

Accra, Oct. 20, GNA - Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, on Monday said Government would soon adopt a more efficient adult literacy approach to reduce illiteracy.

He said adult literacy, despite its challenges, should enable people to address problems of the environment and sanitation, health, human rights, as well as improve access to skilled and productive employment towards increased incomes and empowerment of women to enable them to live in dignity.

This was contained in a speech read for him at the opening of a five-day annual sub regional meeting of the Pamoja Regenerated Freiran Literacy Empowerment Community Technics (REFLECT), set up to ensure education for all.

PAMOJA-REFLECT Network is an affiliate of the international REFLECT Action and Communication (CIRAC).

Mr Baah-Wiredu noted that education was a tool for development in every society. "Any society that denies its citizenry literacy is refusing to develop its full manpower for development." Pamoja is a Swahili word meaning "Together".

The meeting, which is under the theme: "Promoting education for all in the Africa's Development", had 40 participants from twelve countries to confer on issues bordering on Education For All (EFA), with emphasis on adult education and gender parity in education. The meeting is being coordinated by PAMOJA Ghana Secretariat and hosted by ProNet a local non-governmental organisation, with sponsorship from ActionAid.

It would also share experiences and innovations resulting from the implementation of REFLECT in the diverse socio-cultural settings of the West Africa Sub Region, device strategies to achieve EFA and formulate a strategy for mainstreaming the activities for the fight against HIV/AIDS into REFLECT programmes.

Mrs Juliana Adu-Gyamfi, Chairman of PAMOJA-Africa, said more than a hundred million children and adults do not have access to education and that gender discrimination continued to permeate educational systems. The quality of learning and the acquisition of human values and skills had also fallen far below the aspirations and needs of individuals and societies, she said.

She said PAMOJA would work in partnership with local communities, governments and non-governmental institutions to improve the quality and access to education and enhance community participation in the education delivery.

Mrs Adu-Gyamfi called for an increased partnership between governments and civil society to mobilise resources, share ideas and experiences on innovative approach to poverty eradication.