Complementary Education Agency (CEA), an agency under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, has launched two flagship programmes: Complementary Basic Education (CBE) Cycle 9 and the Remedial Programme.

Complementary Education caters to basic education for out-of-school children between the ages of 8 to 16, while the Remedial Programme concentrates on school dropouts, offering them an opportunity to re-sit their examinations.

Speaking during the launch in Accra on February 6, the Acting Executive Secretary of CEA, Catherine Appiah Pinkrah, said the agency will collaborate with traditional leaders to identify deprived children in the Bono East, Northern, Upper West, and Upper East regions.

“In 2024, during Cycle 9, the Agency is scaling up targeting 30,000 CBE out-of-school children in four regions and eight districts.

"Bono East Region; on Pru East, Pru West and Sene West districts; Northern Region; Tatale, Zabzugu and Yendi districts; Upper East; Bolga, Bongo and Talensi districts; Upper West Region-Wa Municipal, Wa East & West districts),” she said.

She explained that this was one of the government's initiatives to develop the human resources of the nation, as the future of our nation depends on these children.

Additionally, she stated that from 2018 to 2023, the agency conducted remedial piloting with 435 learners in the Bono East Region, consisting of youth, teenage mothers, and school dropouts.

Madam Pinkrah added that free classes were organised for them to re-sit for the Basic Education Certificate Examinations (BECE), with 95% of them transitioning into free Senior High Schools and Technical and Vocational Education and Training institutions.

She said, "Under this initiative, 6,000 learners across the country have been earmarked to receive free remedial education support to enable them to re-sit for BECE and WASSCE this year 2024."

Again, Madam Pinkrah said the agency's drive, although ambitious, was in line with President Akufo-Addo's mandate of reducing the non-literate population of about eight million.

Present at the event were the Deputy Minister of Education, Gifty Twum Ampofo, queen mothers, and development partners of the CEA.

Gifty Twum Ampofo who read a speech on behalf of the Education Minister, said the initiative was laudable as it would help cater to the informal sector and ensure that everyone can at least read and write.

This way, she emphasised that it would help them be able to read and interpret basic things in their various businesses.

Referring to the benefits of informal education, she said her grandmother equally did not have formal education but was able to acquire literacy skills, which enabled her to read her Bible and other materials.

Again, she said if everyone had basic education, it would contribute to the development of communities and the country as a whole.