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The Child Rights International (CRI) have asked for an increase in the quota system reserved for students of rural and deprived communities in senior high schools from 30 to 40 per cent.
The organisation said although the 30 per cent quota was yielding great benefits, an increase would triple the total gains the policy would have on children from deprived areas.
A statement signed by the Executive Director of the CRI, Bright Appiah, said if government “aims to implement and have a comprehensive policy that would address the needs of rural children, then the quota system should be reviewed and if possible, peg it at 40 per cent to give more children the opportunity to have access to secondary school”.
Majority
Increasing the quota, it said, would not only help majority of Ghanaian children from rural communities to have access to secondary education but also change their lifestyle and the status quo,”
“As a country, we have seen the benefits of giving more opportunities to children to access quality education. If more initiatives are implemented and the quota system is expanded, Ghana could be on its way to scaling the literacy rate among its citizens in the next few years,” the statement said.
Policy
The CRI also asked that the increase in the quota for rural communities to 40 per cent be protected in such a way that no government change would alter it.
A clear directive policy must be put in place since that would make it impossible for a reverse should there be a change in government,” it said, adding that Grade ‘A’ schools must also endeavour to ensure children from rural communities received proper training that would empower them like their counterparts.
Since the implementation of the 30 per cent quota for rural communities, the CRI explained that the move continued to yield greater result where children from those communities had been given access to Grade ‘A’ and ‘B’ schools.
“This policy has favoured rural communities, looking at the circumstances they find themselves and how they are able to pass their exams,” the statement said.
Source: myghanadaily
