Forty-three child labour clubs with membership of 1,500 have so far been formed in schools throughout the country by the Ghana Education Service (GES), to promote and involve children in creating awareness of worst forms of child labour.

Mrs Josephine Kufour-Duah, a Director at the Basic Education Division of the GES in Accra, who disclosed this, said some drop-out children have been enrolled in school, while those above school-going age were placed in apprenticeships.

She was speaking at a three-day “Supporting Children’s Rights through the Arts and the Media (SCREAM)” training of trainers workshops for forty-five participants selected from Volta, Eastern and Greater Accra Regions, in Kumasi on Monday.

Under the theme,” Strengthening Children’s Participation to Fight against Child Labour through SCREAM Methodology and Tools”, the workshop was organized by the GES in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and International Programme for the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC).

Mrs Kufour-Duah, who is the National Co-ordinator of the SCREAM methodology programme, explained that it was a social mobilization initiative to assist teachers, educators, social partners and other key players, by equipping them with awareness and sensitization programmes, to raise their skills to enable them play a major role in activities to fight against child labour.

She noted that, children were very forceful and powerful advocates to their peers, parents and their communities, and that their involvement in the child labour campaign was crucial to achieve the desired objectives.

Mrs Kufour-Duah said adequate awareness would be created in children, using specific modules to provoke their mental and emotional level to the child labour menace.

The recognition of children’s efforts, she indicated, was considered very appropriate, adding that, “it is in conformity with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child”.

The National Co-ordinator stated that, children have the right to participate in decisions that affected them and must therefore be encourage and empowered to play meaningful roles in the crusade against the worst form of child labour.

Mr Joseph Clement Amoah, Deputy Ashanti Regional Director of Education lauded the programme but indicated, however that, greater success would only be achieved if the participants who worked directly with the children imparted the knowledge acquired to them.



Source: GNA