Richard Akumbase, the Upper East Regional Branch President of the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS), has raised concerns over the growing educational disparity between boys and girls in the region.
He shared troubling statistics about student enrollment, emphasizing a significant gap in the number of boys compared to girls.
“Last year, among those in Form Three, I registered more girls than boys. Meanwhile, this used not to be the case,” Mr. Akumbase said.
Speaking during an interview on A1 Radio, Mr. Akumbase revealed that this year, he registered 108 more girls than boys in his admissions, marking a disturbing trend that has become more pronounced since last year. Historically, the number of boys admitted to schools used to surpass that of girls.
However, in recent years, an increasing number of boys have been dropping out of school, with many opting to engage in illegal mining, locally referred to as ‘galamsey,’ rather than continuing their education.
“Most of our boys, after junior high, go to galamsey. Once they get money to buy a motorbike, that’s it—they won’t go to school again. So galamsey is a bigger problem,” he lamented.
The CHASS president warned that this educational trend could have serious societal implications. He argued that if boys are left behind in education, it could affect future relationships and limit the ability of educated women to find equally educated partners.
“These 108 girls—are they going to marry men who are not educated? If we leave the boys behind, our women will not get husbands,” he stated.
Mr. Akumbase called for increased focus from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other stakeholders on supporting boys’ education. He stressed that if this trend is not addressed soon, it could have far-reaching consequences.
“NGOs must begin to look at boys’ education and explore ways to keep boys in school. If not, this will become a very serious issue,” he concluded.
Source: A1Radioonline.Com | 101.1MHZ | Gifty Eyram Kudiabor | Bolgatanga