The Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition (GNECC), with funding from UNESCO, has launched a school-based anti-stigmatisation campaign in seven regions.

This is to encourage children to report to the appropriate authorities when they fall sick, whether at home or in school.

The campaign is a sub-component of the UNESCO funded Project dubbed: “Promoting Effective Teaching and Learning at the Pre-Tertiary Level for All Children in Ghana in the Covid-19 Era”, being implemented by GNECC, a network of about 200 Civil Society Organisations, working in the Education sector in Ghana.

The project aims at campaigning for every child of school-going age to return to school as well as promoting a safe and secure school environment for children and teachers whilst they are in school, home and community.

The seven regions include; Greater Accra, Eastern, Western, Bono, Central, Volta and Ashanti.

In all, 70 public and private schools in 35 districts within the seven regions, are benefiting from the campaign.

Launching the campaign at Fiapre Methodist Basic School ‘A’ and ‘B’ in the Sunyani West Municipality in Bono region, the Regional Coordinator of GNECC, Raphael Godlove Ahenu said there is the need to carry out sensitisation activities in the communities (door-to-door) to encourage children to return to school.

“While the pandemic affects all students, teachers and education personnel, its adverse impacts are greatest for marginalised and vulnerable groups which include children with disabilities, girls, children in rural areas and urban slums.

The risk that a significant number of them will not return after reopening school is high. This could erode the gains made over the years in promoting access to education for these children.