UNESCO launches Prada technology-enabled Girls Education Project
AN education project for girls from three districts in three regions to support the government in its digital drive has been launched at Odumase-Krobo in the Eastern Region.
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The UNESCO-Prada Technology-Enabled Girls Education Project is a collaboration between the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and Prada, an Italian fashion company, and a member of the UNESCO Global Education Coalition.
The implementing partners are the Girls Education Unit of the Ghana Education Service (GES), International Child Development Programme (ICDP), Ghana and Child Online Africa.
The project which will benefit the Biakoye District in the Oti Region, Atwima Kwawoma District in Ashanti Region and Lower Manya Krobo Municipality in the Eastern Region is one of many interventions which UNESCO and its partners in Ghana have designed to support the government in her COVID-19 education response and recovery.
The project when fully implemented would among other things improve girls’ school attendance and learning outcomes through digital skills and technology, girls’ continuity of learning and safe return to schools, expand locally driven girl and youth-led initiatives in favour of girls’ education through advocacy and other community-driven initiatives and enhance access to locally relevant learning and development resources for girls using technology.
It is expected that at least 70 per cent of pregnant primary and junior high school girls in the project districts and municipality would return to school after child birth, 600 junior high school girls in the project schools would be trained in digital skills as well as 30 teachers in the project implementing areas would also be trained in digital skills to enable them to support girls in accessing information and other learning platforms.
Launch
At the launch of the project, the UNESCO Representative in Ghana, Abdourahamane Diallo, in his address, said the project to UNESCO was unique because it was focusing on one of the core mandates which was on gender equality which is a global priority at UNESCO.
He said while much progress was made towards gender equality globally, significant gaps still existed in the education sector in many countries including Ghana.
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Gender parity
He said the tremendous progress that had been made in enhancing access to basic education in Ghana leading to the achievement of gender parity at the primary and JHS levels was commendable.
The Head of Girls Education Unit of the Ghana Education Service, Gifty Asiedu, in her opening remarks, stressed the importance of girl-child education in the development of the nation.
Stigmatisation
She emphasised the need for total support for the re-entry policy which provides the opportunity for pregnant girls to be in school and return to school after delivering their babies.
The Country Director of ICDP-Ghana, Joyce Larnyo, stressed the importance of involving the community stakeholders, especially queenmothers, to reach out to community members with the message. She emphasised that the commitment and collaboration of all partners in development was very critical in achieving the project objectives.
The Executive Director of Child Online Africa, Awo Aidam-Amenya, for her part, advised students to make good use of their communication devices and the Internet by taking advantage of their numerous learning apps on various platforms.