The Ghana Education Outcomes Project (GEOP) which is under the Ghana Education Service, has transitioned a total number of 17, 340 pupils into mainstream schools across the five regions of the North in six districts and 300 communities after taking the children through a six-month accelerated learning programme in March this year.
About 7,336 out of the 17,340 pupils were transitioned in the Savelugu municipality of the Northern region.
The 17,340 pupils were also supported with free school uniforms.
The GEOP is aimed at supporting out-of-school children at the age of eight to 16 years, to reintegrate them into Ghana’s formal Education system and improve learning outcomes in primary schools and is also the first of its kind in Ghana and sub-Saharan Africa.
The programme is being implemented by Plan Ghana International, School for Life and Ghana Transformed Partnership Consortium.
Speaking at the launch of the project to formally transition the school children into the formal Ghana Education Service system at Savelugu in the Northern Region, the Chief Director at the Ministry of Education Mrs. Maamle Andrews pleaded with all stakeholders including traditional leaders to continue to join hands to strengthen the partnership with the ministry of education and other stakeholders to ensure that the children take their studies seriously and stay in school to be able to complete the full course of their school.
She was optimistic that their role as traditional leaders in the communities would ensure massive progress in the lives of the children and bring an end to the out-of-school children syndrome.
Mrs. Maamle indicated that the project will bring significant improvement in the livelihoods of the children.
The National Coordinator of the Ghana Education Outcomes Project (GEOP), Hajia Fatima Nana High expressed excitement about the progress of the project and encouraged the children to stay in school to have a full benefit of the programme.
The Northern Regional Education Director of the Ghana Education Service, Hajia Kusumi Nantogmah on her part said the GEOP project has so far equipped children with literacy skills and that it is paving way for a brighter future.
She noted that the programme has also played a pivotal role in boosting the confidence of learning, particularly among the girls.
