Ghana Statistical Service has embarked on a face-to-face training of the national trainers across the Country as part of the process towards the execution of the 2021 Population and Housing Census.
The national trainers are expected to oversee the training of regional trainers in the various regions as well as supervise the training of enumerators and supervisors at the district level.
Speaking on the sidelines of the training programme in Wa, Upper Regional Statistician, Sixtus Dery said it has become necessary for the service to carry out the exercise amidst the Covid-19. He said the Population and Housing Census is key to an even distribution of National resources for the benefit of the ordinary Ghanaian.
The eight-day training workshop is a culmination of months-long engagement with prospective National Trainers who have participated in a three-month virtual self-learning and 15-day live virtual training.
After a competitive screening process, one thousand 338 trainees were selected out of 3000 applicants for the workshop throughout the country.
The census night date for the 2021 Population and Housing Census is June 27.
Mr Dery said the exercise was scheduled for June last year but was suspended because of the COVID-19 Pandemic. However, the virus has become a new normal and the service has to adjust itself to carry out the exercise.
He said, “We have put in place all the necessary measures to ensure that officials observe the safety protocols. Just imagine a conference hall which supposed to accommodate more than hundred people, we have reduced our number to about forty people just to ensure that there is social distancing. Besides, the service had procured personal protectives equipment such as face masks, veronica buckets, hand sanitizers and tissue papers to ensure that officials are saved from contracting the virus or spreading it.”
Curriculum Reviewer for the Census Professor Paul Nkegbe entreated the trainers to see their contributions to the census going beyond the class room. He urged them to remain committed to making the census a success.
He said, “We are counting on you to be ambassadors for the census to support publicity, education and advocacy. In particular, we expect that you support our outreach in religious institutions by sensitizing congregants in your place of worship to the census.
To our master trainers who will be facilitating, be reminded that what you do at this level is what will be replicated at the next levels of training” he cautioned.
Professor Nkegbe said they have moved from the trial to implementation stage and there should be no room for errors.”
He noted that any opportunity missed and mistakes made at this level will trickle down to the other levels of training and have ripple effect on the census.
Upper West Regional Minister Dr. Hafiz Bin Salih in a speech read on his behalf said massive public education is necessary to address key questions on what the census is about. He tasked officers to intensify publicity in all communities to ensure the success of the exercise.
The training programme comprises eight zones. The northern zone covers the Upper East, Upper West, North East, Northern and Savana Regions.
Source:A1Radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Dennis Bebane|Ghana
