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UER: Adolescents in 3 districts suffer educational effects due to Covid-19

A survey conducted by a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) in the Upper East Region, Youth Harvest Foundation Ghana (YHFG) has revealed that the long closure of schools across the country due to the Corona virus pandemic has negatively affected the education of most adolescents in 2 Districts and one Municipality in the region.

According to the survey, basic school pupils between the ages of 10 and 19 years in the, Talensi and Bawku West districts as well as Builsa North Municipal, have suffered dearly due to the prolonged closure of schools coupled with poverty.

The survey covered a total of 1,152 Adolescent Boys and Girls, 9 parents, 30 Teachers, 6 traditional leaders and 6 health works across the two selected districts and the municipality.

Speaking on the findings of the survey at a workshop in Bolgatanga under the theme ‘Assessing the impact of covid-19 pandemic schools closure on adolescents’ education in the Upper East region of Ghana’, the Programmes Manager of Youth Harvest Foundation Ghana, Albert Akanferi, noted that cases of teenage pregnancy and school dropout amongst adolescents have increased significantly in the said areas due to the negative impact of COVID-19.

“The issues of teenage pregnancy, child marriage and the issues of STIs were in existences before covid-19, but the prolonged stay or closure of schools which made students to remain in the house for a longer period rather was worsening the case of these things. So the research which sought to unveil some of the impact and the issues affecting the Adolescents during the prolonged school closure, it is revealing  that, a lot of adolescents have drop out of school, some are engaged in marriages, some teenage pregnancy and a lot have also face sexual and gender based violence (SGBV).” He said.

The survey which was conducted between January and August 2021 by the Youth Harvest Foundation Ghana was funded by Plan International and JugendPartnerSchaft Ghana e.v.

Source:Fiilafmonline/A1Radioonline.

 

 

 

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