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Citizens actions impact positively on education outcomes in Tano South

The role of citizens in shaping the development of every society cannot be overemphasized.

Date Created : 3/12/2021 12:00:00 AM : Story Author : Baffour-Mensah A./Ghanadistricts.com

Such a role becomes even more effective when the citizens are empowered not only to demand accountability from duty bearers but also when they are effective participants in the decision-making and development processes in their communities.

This is the story of the I AM AWARE Social Accountability groups in the Tano South Municipality of the Ahafo region.

The Social Action Group is a voluntary organization organized as part of the I AM AWARE project by the Ghana Center for Democratic Development being implemented in the Tano South District by Hope Alive 360 Foundation and Save Our Environment Foundation, both Non-Governmental Organizations.

The project which is funded by the Hewlett Foundation seeks to empower citizens to demand accountability from state actors for improved service delivery in areas of Agriculture, Sanitation, Health, Education, Security, Roads, Water using data from these sectors as an advocacy tool.

Through the project and for that matter the activities of the Social Action Groups, improvement has been recorded in education outcomes in the Municipality. Five schools namely; Old Brosanko JHS, Islamic JHS A, Dwomo Methodist JHS, Mawaninso Presby JHS, and Mansen Community JHS have all seen improvement in the performance of candidates in the 2020 Basic Education Certificate Examination.

At a forum organized by Hope Alive 360 Foundation and Save Our Environment Foundation as part of the I AM AWARE activities for duty bearers to give an update on their commitment to improving education outcomes in the Municipality, headmasters and Parent Teachers Association from the five schools revealed how the project intervention has enhanced effectiveness of the Parent-Teacher Associations and the School Management Committees culminating into the improvement in the schools’ performance.

The Dwomo Methodist JHS which before the intervention had scored 0% in the previous exams has 25 passes and a fail out of the 31 candidates whose results have been confirmed by school authorities. Mawaninso JHS has 12 passes confirmed out of 13 candidates presented while Old Brosanko has 21 passes confirmed out of 32 candidates presented.

The rest are Bechem Islamic “A” with 13 confirmed passes out of the 15 candidates presented while Mansen Community JHS has 14 passes and failed confirmed results out of 29 candidates presented.

Through the activities of the Social Action Group led by its Chairman Rev. Frimpong Boadu the Member of Parliament for the Area, Mr. Benjamin Yeboah Sekyere sponsored a mock examination for candidates in the Municipality which prepared the students for the Exams.

Further, the Social Action Group has successfully advocated for the provision of over one thousand desks to various schools in the Municipality.

Speaking at the forum, both the Municipal Assembly and the Ghana Education Service were full of praise for the I AM AWARE project. According to a Deputy Coordinating, Director, Mr. Evans……….. identifying the schools with poor performance as part of the project was key to addressing same.

The Municipal Director of Education called for more partnership between Hope Alive 360 Foundation and Save Our Environment Foundation to address issues in the education sector to improve learning outcomes.

Background

The I AM AWARE project started in the Tano South Municipality in October 2019 to empower citizens through capacity building and data to demand accountability through citizens' actions for improved service delivery in health and education. Data on BECE performance showed that five schools namely Old Brosanko, Dwomo Methodist, Bechem Islamic “A” Mansen Community JHS, and Mawaninso Presby Junior High Schools have been performing poorly in the previous BECE Exams with 0% consistently for two years.

The problem was attributed to dormant Parent Teachers Association and School Management Committees, anxiety on the part of some of the candidates as a result of the students not writing mock exams, and inadequate furniture.