Rising School Dropout Rates in Charekpong Electoral Area Alarming

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The Assembly member for Charekpong centreal Hon. John Baptist Angbagna in the Nadowli/Kaleo District, has expressed grave concern over the escalating school dropout rates among basic school students in the community. During an interview on Info Radio’s Te Zine Yiri Yela progam, he described the trend as “very unfortunate” and highlighted several contributing factors.

Hon. Angbagna revealed that many students who remain in school perform poorly in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), with some failing woefully. He attributed the decline to systemic issues, including acute staffing shortages that result in numerous classrooms remaining empty during contact hours. He also cited behavioral challenges, notably the use of mobile phones by students, and socioeconomic factors such as engagement in illegal mining activities (galamsey) and a lack of parental interest in their children’s education.

Since assuming his role as assembly member, Hon. Angbagna noted that he has convened two stakeholder fora aimed at addressing the educational challenges. While some measures were implemented to encourage school attendance, these interventions have since been suspended. Nevertheless, he emphasized that the four assembly members within the Charekpong enclave have collectively agreed to engage local youth involved in galamsey and other economic activities. The goal is to persuade these individuals and their families to desist from illicit mining and instead channel their energies into sustainable livelihood projects, thereby reducing the lure of dropping out of school.

The community remains hopeful that ongoing efforts and increased stakeholder engagement will stem the tide of school dropouts and improve educational outcomes in the area.