The welfare of the boy-child is gradually being ignored at the expense of the girl-child, Madam Patricia Abotsi, Head, Girls Education Unit, Korle Klottey Municipal Education Directorate, has observed.
She said the quest to empower the girl-child almost resulted in a situation where the boy-child was left behind.
She was speaking at The Korle Klottey Municipal Education Directorate has organised a one-day leadership workshop for students in its catchment area organised by the Korle Klottey Municipal Education Directorate in Accra.
The training hinged on the theme; “Effective Leadership for a Better Future” is to commemorate the International Day of the Boy Child which is celebrated on May 16 every year.
The purpose is to emphasize the need for the wellbeing of the boy-child.
Participants were drawn from 26 government basic schools and three senior high schools from the three circuits, making up the education directorate of the Municipality.
“Of late, we have realised that due to the concentration on the girl-child, there is no attention for the boy-child and they are lagging behind. That is why we saw it wise to commemorate such a day that will empower the boy-child,” she said.
Addressing the students and teachers who participated in the event, Mr Philip Aidoo, Director of Education, Korle Klottey Municipal, said that children were future leaders hence the need to teach them the appropriate leadership skills.
He said effective leadership was very key in nation building and that was why the Ghana Education Service had even inculcated some lessons on it in its new curricular.
He however observed that there existed some leadership challenges especially at the family level, saying that many parents had concentrated on just some aspects of human needs, especially financial literacy, neglecting the critical needs for a growing child.
He said some parents did not even follow up on the performance of their children in school and appealed to parents to complement the efforts of teachers by paying attention to the development of their wards’ leadership and other soft skills.
“The children are learning from us, and they will practice what they see us practicing so whatever we want them to be in future, we should start practicing it so that in future they will also live by it.” Mr Aidoo said.
He then advised the students to take the various leadership training models seriously since they were grounds for nurturing effective leaders.
“A lot of leaders you see today started like you, so I beg you to take whatever training you are receiving seriously,” he implored.
