The Bolgatanga Municipal Director of Education, George Asira, has raised concern over a growing decline in the retention of boys in schools in the municipality.
He says education data from the past five years shows a worrying reversal in school enrolment and retention, with girls increasingly outnumbering boys as they progress through the education system.
Mr Asira says although boys consistently record higher enrolment than girls at the Kindergarten level, their numbers drop significantly by the time they reach Junior High School.
“At the KG level, consistently, you have higher numbers of boys than girls. By the moment they enter and progress to JHS 3, the numbers turn against the boys.”
He made the observation when the Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly handed over two newly constructed Kindergarten blocks to communities in the municipality.
Mr Asira says the trend requires urgent attention from parents, schools and other stakeholders to ensure boys remain in school throughout their education.
He declined to discuss the specific causes of the decline, saying the occasion was not appropriate to diagnose the problem.
However, he stressed that keeping boys in school must become a collective responsibility.
“The boys are not there, they are there, but as they progress, they fall out of school.”
Mr Asira appealed to parents and stakeholders to treat the education of boys and girls with equal importance and ensure that children are not only enrolled but remain in school.
“Whether boy-child, girl-child, it is the duty of parents to bring their boy-child, girl-child to school, and ensure that they stay in school.”
Source: Bolgafmonline.com| 102.7 MHz| David Azure| Bolgatanga
