The 2025 Junior Graphic National Essay Competition (JGNEC) workshops have begun in the Central and Western regions to educate learners on the technicalities of writing essays.
Over 400 children who took part in the workshops held in the Central regional capital, Cape Coast, and the Western regional capital, Takoradi, were taught how to write compelling essays using idiomatic expressions and the correct vocabulary to appeal to readers.
Participants were also conscientised about common grammatical, spelling and punctuation errors and the need to avoid the use of shorthand or abbreviations in their essays.
The workshops, which will be replicated in other regions, will help learners to write good essays in the contest and in their academic work.
The JGNEC is sponsored by FirstBank Ghana, Peeva Beverages and Papaye FastFoods.
The facilitator, Gertrude Opoku-Fofie, who took learners through the technicalities in both Cape Coast and Takoradi, taught the schoolchildren the features of expository, narrative, descriptive, argumentative essays, as well as formal and informal letters.
She also emphasised the importance of using adjectives and adverbs in their essays to catch the reader's attention.
"In descriptive essays, give detailed accounts and use adjectives to appeal to the senses of readers and create mental images of the chosen topic," she explained.
She encouraged children to cultivate the habit of writing to sharpen their skills, to help them write good essays and have a great command of the English language.
"It is only through writing that you express your innermost thoughts and feelings. Contribute to the Junior Graphic by writing for the paper to improve on your writing skills," she urged.
The Editor, Junior Graphic, Hannah A. Amoah, encouraged children to continue to patronise the paper in spite of the increase in its cover price.
"The Junior Graphic is the only newspaper that gives children a voice and helps them to cultivate the habit of reading to broaden their horizon, assists them in their academic work and also nurtures them to become well-rounded adults in future; so you can't afford to stop buying it," she explained.
Mrs Amoah advised the children to save money to buy the paper every Wednesday, adding, "Perform additional chores and assist your parents in diverse ways to earn extra money to buy the paper since knowledge once acquired is forever."
She also announced that the Junior Graphic would be celebrating its 25th anniversary and urged children to continue to contribute to the paper and participate in the ongoing JGNEC to win attractive prizes.
Junior Internship Programme
The Relationship Officer at the Takoradi Branch of FirstBank Ghana, Alexander Panford, urged the children to take advantage of the bank's Junior Internship Programme (JIP) to gain hands-on working experience in the banking hall.
"Your parents need to open an account with GH¢300 at any branch of FirstBank Ghana to participate in the internship programme.
The week-long programme is designed to expose you to the working environment, teach you how to relate with customers and assume roles that will prepare you for the future," he explained.
The Main Distributor of Peeva Beverages in Cape Coast, Francis Asare, said partnering the Junior Graphic to organise this year's JGNEC formed part of the company's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to promote quality education in the country.
