Education stakeholders in the Aponoapono and Jato communities in Ghana’s Eastern Region are calling for the expansion of the Ghana School Feeding Programme and the introduction of vocational skills training to help ease financial hardship and reduce absenteeism among pupils in rural schools.
The appeal comes amid growing concerns that poverty continues to undermine access to basic education in underserved farming communities.
Over the past year, the Rooting for Change Project, an initiative under Plan International Ghana, has contributed to a noticeable reduction in adolescent pregnancies in the area. However, stakeholders say economic barriers remain a critical challenge to sustained school attendance.
Speaking at Aponoapono, Victor Owusu, Headmaster of Aponoapono Presbyterian KG/Primary School, explained that many parents simply cannot afford the basic costs associated with schooling.
“When we went round to ask why children are not coming to school, the parents told us they don’t have money. Some say if they get money, then the child will come to school,” he said.
Mr. Owusu noted that none of the five schools serving communities along the Aponoapono–Jato stretch currently benefits from the government’s school feeding programme, despite being among the most economically challenged areas.
“All the five schools on this stretch are not under the government school feeding programme, yet this is where the financial challenges are,” he added.
“The school feeding programme should rather come to the grassroots — to the farmers and the less privileged.”
Beyond feeding support, stakeholders are also advocating for practical vocational skills training to empower pupils and their families economically. Suggestions include soap making, leather works and bead making as income-generating skills that could help learners support themselves and reduce pressure on parents.
One education stakeholder emphasized that such skills would not only improve livelihoods but also motivate children to remain in school and apply what they learn productively within their communities.
The calls highlight a growing consensus among rural education advocates that combining social interventions like school feeding with vocational empowerment could significantly improve attendance, retention and overall educational outcomes in Ghana’s hard-to-reach communities.
Source: GBC News
