Day: July 16, 2023

A report by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) says one in every four, representing 24.2 per cent of young persons between 15 and 24 years were not engaged in education, employment, or training during the third quarter of 2022.

The figure represents 1.5 million persons in the age group.

This is in a statement from the Service from the Annual Household Income and Expenditure Survey 2022 Third Quarter Labour Statistics Report issued to the Ghana News Agency.

‘More than half of the youth NEET are in the Greater Accra (312,394), Ashanti (300,161), Eastern (131,341), and Central (129,182) regions.

‘ In 13 out of the 16 regions, more than 20 per cent of young persons, 15 to 24 years were not in education, employment, or training.

‘Eastern Region (30.0 per cent) has the highest proportion of youth, with a figure about twice that of Bono Region (14.5 per cent) which has the lowest proportion,’ the report said.

The 2021 Population and Housing Census indicated that one in every ten (11.1per cent) persons 15 to 24 years, representing 1.4 million young persons, never attended school.

A slighter higher percentage of females (12.0 per cent) in the age group never attended school compared to males (10.2 per cent).

In the Savannah (43.4 per cent), North East (36.8 per cent), Northern (33.3 per cent), Upper West (20.9 per cent) and Oti (20.7 per cent). ,

The report said in all, the five regions accounted for almost half (665,508) of the young persons that never attended school.

The unemployment rate for young persons 15 to 24 years recorded during the census was 32.8 per cent with a higher rate for females (36.7 per cent) compared to males (29.3%).

The unemployment rate for the age group was above 30 per cent in 12 out of the 16 regions led by the Upper West Region (39.0 per cent) and followed by Western North (38.4 per cent).

The statement is in commemoration of this year’s World Youth Skills Day, which is celebrated annually on the 15th of July to mark the strategic importance of equipping young people with skills for employment, decent work, and entrepreneurship.

The theme for 2023 is: ‘Skilling teachers, trainers, and youth for a transformative future.’

Source: Ghana News Agency

Many parents and teachers are in support of the implementation of Reproductive Health Education (RHE) in basic schools to promote sexual and reproductive health and rights of children in Ghana, a research report has shown.

The research conducted by the Youth Harvest Foundation Ghana (YHFG), a Non-Governmental Organisation, in two districts each in the Greater Accra, Ashanti and Upper East Region was part of a five-year RHE project dubbed, ‘Evidence to Action: Sexual Health Education Advocacy Project’ being sponsored by the Swedish Association for Sexuality Education (RFSU).

The research sought to find out whether parents and teachers supported the implementation of RHE in basic schools or not and at which levels and what personal and environmental factors could influence their choice.

At a dissemination workshop to make the findings known to stakeholders held at Bolgatanga, the findings showed that 60 per cent of teachers and 90 per cent of parents supported the implementation of the RHE in basic schools.

However, Mr Dominic Anarigide, the Project Officer, YHFG, who presented the findings, said the research further noted that the implementation of the RHE should begin at the Upper Primary level.

Ms Augustina Dechegme Achigibah, the Programme manager of YHFG, noted that although the findings could not be generalised to the larger population, its implementation should be in conformity with the sociocultural beliefs of society.

Ms Priscilla Nyaaba, the Executive Director of YHFG, called on various stakeholders, especially the Ghana Education Service (GES) and religious bodies, among others, to collaborate and intensify conversation for RHE in basic schools.

This, Ms Nyaaba noted, would help reduce teenage pregnancies, minimise child marriage, limit transmission of Sexually Transmitted Diseases and enable adolescents to make informed decisions to help their career and personal development.

According to Ms Nyaaba, the Ministry of Education and its partners developed a national guideline for the teaching of Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) in schools in 2019, but the initiative was met with great opposition from various stakeholders due to its content, leading to a halt in its implementation.

She said while it was important to acknowledge that some elements in the document did not meet the acceptable societal norms in the Ghanaian community, it was crucial that stakeholders were engaged on the way forward as RHE was important for the growth and development of young people, especially adolescents.

Ms Priscilla Lisa Tanbesagr, the Bolgatanga Municipal Girl Child Officer of the Ghana Education Service (GES), said the implementation of RHE in basic schools was fundamental to safeguarding the future of the younger generation, adding that it was only when they were educated that they could make appropriate decisions regarding their sexual life.

Sheikh Abu-Baka Sadiq Abdul-Rahaman, a participant, noted that it was important religious bodies and other stakeholders were engaged to examine the content of any policy document in relation to sex education before its introduction into schools.

Source: Ghana News Agency