Students of the Garden City Special School at Asokore Mampong in the Ashanti region have been in darkness since the 14th of February, 2024.
The headmistress of the school, Dr Roseline Frempomaa Adjepong, told the Ghana News Agency that all efforts to help restore electricity to the school by the respective authorities have proven futile.
In addition to the electricity challenges, the boys’ dormitory has also caved in, leaving the learners to sleep in the classroom at the mercy of the weather.
The Garden City Special School is the only basic segregated government facility for learners with special education needs ( Intellectual and Developmental disabilities) in the Ashanti , parts of Eastern, Western, and Northern Regions and has about 192 learners.
The school is fully government sub-vented and does not charge any school fees from learners.
Dr Adjepong, expressing her frustration, called on government to pay urgent attention to the needs of special schools in the country, including Garden City Special Sc
hool.
She said all efforts by the Municipal Director of Education and the Asokore Mampong Municipal Chief Executive to get Electricity Company of Ghana to restore power to the school had all been unsuccessful following her appeal to these government officials to intervene.
‘The government needs to pay more attention to children with disabilities in Ghana, especially their education. These children are often neglected in everything, and that is not right,’ she said.
Source: Ghana News Agency
A total of 557 cases of child abuse have been reported in the Oshikoto Region between 01 January to 18 March 2024.
This was confirmed by the Head of the Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare Division at the Oshikoto Regional Council, Petrus Kuutondokwa, on Tuesday during the Child Care Protection Forum meeting held at Omuthiya.
He said the reported abuse include sexual, physical, emotional abuse and neglect.
The Oshikoto Regional Council chairperson, Samuel Shivute has encouraged residents of Oshikoto to start reporting violence against children and other pressing issues committed against them to relevant authorities.
He said that children should be protected against any forms of harm, exploitation and discrimination.
‘We also have alcohol and drug abuse by children and a high rate of children committing crimes in the region,’ said Shivute, further lamenting a high prevalence of teenage pregnancies in the region.
The Namibian Police Force representative at the meeting, Melchizedek Hang
o, urged the nation to go to the police station or the hospital to formalise and tackle the issue of child abuse.
‘The members of the public should call any member of the gender-based violence police to meet in person because police intervention can be your priority because it is a lifesaving measure,’ said Hango.
Hango further added that they can help the survivors to get connected to other resources such as legal services, psychologists and shelters, among others.
The objective of the forum was to strengthen coordination amongst the stakeholders regarding child care and protection issues, as well as raise awareness regarding child welfare services.
Source: The Namibia Press Agency