The Need to Include Africa’s Agenda 2063 in the Curriculum of Basic Schools

GROUP: Youth Without Boarders Ghana

ISSUE: The Need to Include Africa’s Agenda 2063 in the Curriculum of Basic Schools

COUNTRY: Ghana

Agenda 2063 is a master plan for transforming Africa into the global powerhouse of the future. This was because the leadership decided to refocus and reprioritize Africa’s agenda from the toil against apartheid and political independence to becoming a dominant player in the global arena. With a pan-African vision of attaining an integrated, prosperous, and peaceful Africa in mind, it is essential to instil the knowledge of Agenda 2063 in our current and future generations through classroom instructions. The following reasons birthed by conclusion;

Incorporating Agenda 2063 in the curriculum of basic schools will enhance the rate at which pupils read, understand, teach, and write about the flagship programs entrenched in it. Agenda 2063 not only encapsulates Africa’s aspirations for the future but also identifies key flagship programs that can boost Africa’s economic growth and development. Programs such as; the Establishment of the African Free Trade Area, The African Passport and Free Movement of People, Silencing the Guns by 2020, The Pan-African E-Network, and Encyclopaedia Africana, among others, should be added to the curriculum of basic schools to ensure it is studied daily. This will improve its widespread and better understanding and appreciation.

The inclusion of Agenda 2063 in the curriculum of basic schools will aid in the propagation and advocacy of the key activities undertaken or planned to be undertaken by the African Union (AU). Agenda 2063 identified some ten (10) key activities to undertake in its ten (10) years implementation plans (2013-2023). Despite the implementation of these activities (From 2013-2023), the chorus of Agenda 2063 is still far from most African citizenry. This bridge can be closed if it is granted a space in our course of study, for the pupils, as well as the materials of study, will become the mouthpiece of propagation and advocacy.

Key to the vision of Agenda 2063 is to develop an informed African youth competent of making decisions that will transform the African continent. This is another reason why inculcating Agenda 2063 into the curriculum of basic schools is essential, for it contains policy formulation and implementation processes, analysis of complex socio-economic issues facing Africa, and development of innovative solutions to address them. The process of taking students through these studies will enhance their critical thinking ability as well as improve their decision-making skills.

Including Agenda 2063 in the curriculum of basic schools will imbue in the school-going children a significance of Pan-Africanism. Pan-Africanism is a socio-political movement that aims to unify African people worldwide. The mission, vision, content, and spirit behind Agenda 2063 is to attain an integrated, prosperous, and peaceful Africa. This knowledge is essential in the classroom if social cohesion, oneness, peace, solidarity, unity, and the essence of collaboration with African nations to achieve a common goal is to be championed among African youth. There is a need for holistic programming for teenagers to accept Africanism before they grow, a mission that can be attained with ease in a classroom instruction.

Agenda 2063 underscores sustainable development, economic growth, and social inclusion. By integrating it into the curriculum, basic students will acquire knowledge in sustainable practices, environmental conservation, and inclusive economic policies. This will go a long way to preserve the environment.  Educating young minds about Agenda 2063 will empower them to actively participate in shaping the fortune of Africa. They will understand their roles in contributing to the continent's development and take ownership of their actions.

In conclusion, incorporating Agenda 2063 into the curriculum of basic schools is essential for shaping an era of African leaders who are knowledgeable, farsighted, proactive,  and committed to the continent's development. It will facilitate a sense of responsibility, and Pan-Africanism among the youth, paving the way for successful and sustainable future for Africa.

YWB Ghana partners African Center for Economic Transformation on School-to-Work Transitions Webinar Series

Youth Without Boarders Ghana had the previledge of partnering African Centre for Economic Transformation for an intergenerational dialogue on the theme using school-to-work transition schemes to better prepare young people for work.

YWB Ghana partners African Center for Economic Transformation on School-to-Work Transitions Webinar Series

In this partnership dialogue, key stakeholders such as: Ogunbadejo Abimbola (Medical student, Nigeria), Bright Antwi Frimpong (NSP. Sepe Bukom Health Center), Fayza Kedir (CEO and Founder, Bina pads Enterprise, Ethiopia), Hon. Osei Assibey Antwi (ED NSS Ghana), Florence Yaakugh, Hamdi Ali (CEO and Founder, Jinaw Fashion and Branding), Fungai Jacqueline Kiwa, Ethan Kafwaru (Expert video /photo content creator, South Africa), Cheif Moomen (Founder, Mansa world Ghana), Francisca Asare (Advocate, curious minds, Ghana), and Kwaku Asetena – Krah (placement and internship coordinator, open labs), converged to address the pivotal role of School-to-Work Transition Schemes in equipping African youth with the requisite skills and experiences for successful integration into the workforce. The discourse highlighted the significance of these programs in mitigating youth unemployment and fostering economic development across Africa. Amidst diverse perspectives, the dialogue highlighted the challenges affecting the efficacy of such schemes and proposed actionable strategies.

YWB Ghana partners African Center for Economic Transformation on School-to-Work Transitions Webinar Series

The areas considered for this dialogue included, 1) Enhancing skills and sustainability of school to work transition programs, 2) Enhancing school to work transition schemes for youth in the creative industry, and 3) Enhancing school to work transition schemes for youth in informal sectors, youth not in education, employment, and training.

Key among the challenges discussed at the webinar was underfunding of youth development programs and young people’s self-help initiatives, poor or inconsistent implementation of programs and projects, and political and external interference. These challenges according to the panellist have constrained the scalability and sustainability of School-to-Work Transition Schemes, limiting their reach and efficacy in addressing youth unemployment.

Some of the strategies outlined towards enhancing the efficiency of skills and sustainability of school-to-work transition programs included; structural reinforcement, resource mobilization, capacity building, youth centric approach, and partnership synergies.

YWB Ghana partners African Center for Economic Transformation on School-to-Work Transitions Webinar Series

By establishing clear frameworks and standardized protocols, the panalists believe School-to-Work Transition Schemes can enhance coherence and effectiveness, ensuring alignment with broader socio-economic objectives. Collaborative efforts among stakeholders, including governments, private sector entities, and international organizations, are essential for mobilizing adequate resources to sustain and expand these programs.

The resource persons stressed the relevance of investing in training and capacity-building initiatives for educators, mentors, and program administrators. This according to them can bolster the quality and relevance of skills imparted through School-to-Work Transition Schemes. They also called for engagement of youth voices in the design and implementation of these schemes coupled with a synergy and strategic partnerships across sectors, these they believe will ensure the programs are tailored to their needs, aspirations, and socio-economic context.

YWB Ghana partners African Center for Economic Transformation on School-to-Work Transitions Webinar Series

In conclusion, as Africa navigates the complexities of a rapidly evolving global economy, the imperative to empower its youth through effective School-to-Work Transition Schemes has never been more pronounced. By addressing the challenges of underfunding, poor implementation, and political interference, while embracing strategies to enhance efficiency and inclusivity, stakeholders can collectively propel the continent towards a future where every young person has the opportunity to realize their full potential and contribute meaningfully to sustainable development.

This report encapsulates the collective insights and commitments emanating from our partnership dialogue, serving as a catalyst for concerted action towards realizing the transformative promise of School-to-Work Transition Schemes in Africa.

YWB & NYA Sensitise Students at Armed Forces

Report of SHS Outreach on Violence in SHSs

Youth Without Borders Ghana and National Youth Authority Sensitize Kumasi Armed Forces SHTS onViolence in Senior High Schools under the theme: Addressing Violence in Senior High Schools; Instilling Democratic Principles in Young People.

Introduction

Over the years, students have resorted to the use of violence and destruction of school properties in airing their grievances and making their voice heard in senior high schools. In recent times, there have been several reports of violent incidents, where students went on rampage to destroy school properties in protest against school authorities. A notable incident in Ashanti Region was where students of Islamic SHS blocked vehicular traffic in front of the school because vehicles were knocking down their colleagues. Even though some of the violent protests yielded the needed results, however, this does not represent the tenets of responsible and patriotic youth we seek for nation building.

It is in view of this that Youth Without Borders Ghana and National Youth Authority engaged the students of Armed Forces Senior High Technical School on proper grievance address system for young people. The activity began at 11:20am and closed at 1:00pm. The Assistant Headmistress (academics), head of IT department, some teachers and estimated 800 students were present. A team of 7 members of YWB and 2 NYA officers turned up for the event. The facilitator for the day was DSP Godwin Ahianyo, the Director of Public Affairs at the Regional Police Command in Ashanti Region.

Address by Mr. David Oteng Asamoah, Kumasi Metro Director of NYA

Opening the session, Mr. David Oteng Asamoah the Metro Director of NYA emphasized that the sensitization aimed at helping students to know how to channel their grievances for redress as students. He added that National Youth Authority has always sought various avenues to engaged SHSs on the prevailing violent tendencies occurring on their campuses. He expressed belief that this partnership with YWB Ghana and the Ghana Police Service will yield the results of curbing continuous violence and destruction of school properties.

Address by Ghana Police Service

Addressing the students, DSP Godwin Ahianyo, the public affairs director at the regional police command in Ashanti Region, elaborated on the long and short term consequences of violence in schools. He stated that violence manifest itself in several ways but notably are the physical and psychological violence. He said that violence could be inter or intra, where he further explained that violence could take place within the same school compound amongst students and or teachers, whiles it could also take place between different schools as a result of rivalry amongst other issues. Inter school sports competitions have also been the grounds for most inter school violence reported. Notable among the causes of violence on campuses was gang rivalry and notorious students wanting to display their rebellious powers.

He continued that violence in schools had very grim consequences on students and schools at large. He stated that students have been noted to vandalise school property and cause injuries to other students in the process of demonstrations. In the short term, this situations usually disrupt the school academic calendar, as sometimes school will have to break or go on recess to restore calm and also repair damaged properties. This disrupts the conducive and serene learning environments that students and teachers enjoy together.

According to the DSP, deviant behaviours in school have future consequences. He explained that with the current presence of social media and hidden CCTV cameras installed in public places, when one is captured causing harm or destroying public or private property, it easily captured and the information will be shared nationally and globally. This ultimately affects ones image as the videos and images could be retrieved at any time and used against you when you apply for a particular job or position in the near future.

Touching on the Public Order Act, he explained when a group wants to demonstrate or organize a public gathering, the leaders of the group must write to notify the Regional Police Command in the area for the demonstration within a minimum of five working days before the planned date of the demonstration stating the purpose, venue, time, route and destination of the demonstration. He emphasized that demonstrations rights of citizens, however proper administrative procedure cannot be ignored.

He also threw some light on the fact that violence is not only manifested during demonstrations and physical fights but also through bullying and intimidation. Making reference to the incident that happened in Adisadel College in Cape Coast, he told students that when the law catches up with you for taking matters into your own hands and bullying a colleague especially it degenerates into harming the person, the next thing is for the law to take its own course. There is no partiality or pardon for being convicted of a crime or breaking the law a student or ordinary person. Criminal background checks are a necessary requirement when vying for political positions and applying for travel documents, so being convicted of a crime at this stage in life means that you will have a criminal record that can hinder you in your career or travel since your fingerprints and data will be captured in the police system.

In his conclusion, the DSP stated that the human resource of our country’s future was the youth seated before him and therefore they needed to refrain from violence and other criminal behaviors. He advised students to be checks for one another to ensure discipline. Senior students were encouraged to mentor the younger ones and not bully them because they had experienced that. He reminded the student that their actions could put tags on their school which affects the image of the school. At this point he made students list certain schools in the region that had being tagged as violent due to the recurring instances of violence in the schools.

Address by Samuel Gariba: Executive Director, Youth Without Borders Ghana

Samuel Gariba, the Programme Officer and Executive Director of Youth Without Borders Ghana also stressed that, many times, students in SHSs do not realize that their public conduct has everything to do with the legal regime governing public order. He continued that over the years, students in high schools have indulged in violence without recourse to the ramifications on themselves and immediate environment and it is this same attitude that is transferred to tertiary institutions between one hall and the other. He admonished the students to be mindful of maintain school properties in the same good condition they met them so that their younger siblings can come and use them in the future.

Open Forum

In a questions and answer session that ensued, the following questions and answers followed.

Q1. Should demonstrations not be organized in schools and what happens if grievances are not addressed after authorities have been notified?

Ans. Demonstrations can be organized but they ought to be peaceful and the due process in the school and public order act should be followed. First school authorities should be engaged for resolution and if not resolved, a written notice to should be sent to the Police as stated in the public order act. The police will engage the relevant parties, they will not stop you but can advise on alternative means in resolving or addressing the issue. Failure to notify the police can lead to an arrest.

Q2. How do we stop “gangs” in the SHSs since they breed violence?

Ans. Report such groups to authorities for them to be disbanded. Formation of cultic and sexual (LGBTQIA+) groups in schools is prohibited and is punishable by law.

Q3. Is there any form of payment involved when you notify the police for demonstration?

Ans. No payment is required.

Q4. Will students receive same punishment for crimes as any other person?

Ans. Once you are convicted of a crime there are no special treatments for students. Punishments are meted out equally once you are arranged before a court. However, students or individuals below eighteen (18) years are kept in juvenile prisons or homes to serve their term of punishments when convicted.  

Q5. When you accidentally kill someone who was trying to rape you, while you are young, will this restrict or hinder you from attaining a political position in the future?

Ans. Such an act is known as self-defense and this does not warrant a conviction. Once the act is proven in court to be a self-defense it does not go on record as murder. The students were encouraged to defend themselves with anything available when confronted with such situations and the law will defend them. They were also entreated to report such attempts to the police even if it came from their teachers or colleagues.”

Q6. How do you restore ones image after being wrongly convicted?

Ans. One can always request a police clearance or statement when required or necessary.

Feedback from Partners

Mad. Hannah, the head of IT department at the school, said the activity was very timely considering the prevalence of such violent demonstrations in SHSs especially in Ashanti Region. She added that it is important for the students to be wary of what they do on campus since CCTV cameras can capture them unawares and social media can easily make such violent behaviours a matter of public knowledge. They could easily be captured on cameras which can become a dent on their image.

The Girl’s Prefect said she learnt that, as a student, she should be mindful of she behaves on campus because violence can affect the way she learns. “… when I engage in any criminal activity, my education will be truncated”, she stressed.

A student also shared that, the event was unexpected, however, the police officer’s answer given to his question made him know that, regardless of being a student of not, punishment for criminal acts does not change. It only when the criminal is not up to 18 years old that the case will be tried in a juvenile court. That was very helpful.

Closing

At the end of the question and answer session the law enforcement officer led the students to pledge to be good and disciplined students abstaining from any form of violence. He also applauded the school authorities and students that in his over twenty-three years of being a law enforcement officer, they have not recorded any incident of violence from their school.

SAMPLED PHOTOS

MEDIA PUBLICATIONS

  1. https://www.myjoyonline.com/nya-ywa-engage-students-on-establishing-effective-systems-to-address-grievances-in-school/
  2. https://3news.com/students-of-armed-forces-senior-high-technical-sensitized-on-dangers-of-violence/
  3. https://onuaonline.com/a-r-nya-partners-ngo-to-educate-students-on-the-dangers-of-violence/
  4. https://www.theghanareport.com/youth-without-borders-national-youth-authority-sensitize-students-on-violence/

Youth Without Borders Ghana lauds the Government of Ghana for Free SHS Policy

The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence and character that is the goal of true education”– Martin Luther king. 

A generation of youngsters who think critically and intensively is needed to overcome 21st century challenges. Education offers opportunity to achieve aspirations, and foster the right types of values and skills that will lead to sustainable and inclusive growth, as well as peaceful living. Education can, and must, contribute to a new vision of sustainable global development.

Youth Without Borders Ghana believes that, the best and an unwavering future a government can give to its citizens is to provide them with equal opportunities and the Free SHS policy is one of such. The Free Senior High School has given hope to many parents, guardians and even many students who couldn’t have afforded secondary education. As a youth organization, we want to use this opportunity to commend the Government of Ghana for taking such bold initiative.

Education is the best weapon which we can use to solve the many challenges we face as a nation. No child should be denied education because of their socio-economic background. With the inception of this Free SHS policy, the people of Ghana are in a better position to achieving the Sustainable Development Goal 4 – Quality education and lifelong learning, free equal access to TVET, Secondary, Tertiary and Adult Education. A fundamental change is needed in the way we think about education’s role in global development, because it has a catalytic impact on the well-being of individuals and the future of Ghana as a Country.

YWB Ghana believes that this policy has the tendency of alleviating poverty and illiteracy in Ghana, at the same time, ensuring socio- economic development. We therefore entreat all and sundry to support this good social intervention policy by serving as ambassadors. It was a campaign promise but now a National policy that will benefit all and the generations yet to come.

YOUTH EMPLOYMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP FORUM

The challenges facing graduates and young entrepreneurs have been the focus of many discussions in recent times. The number of fresh graduates who keep adding up to the bunch of unemployed graduates keeps surging and worsening the unemployment menace every year. The few graduates who chance on pockets of jobs face a variety of challenges including work experience requirements, knowledge of basic organizational skills, monetary demands and for some females, sexual demands and organizational policies that detract their family life. Those with brilliant business ideas face difficulties with start-up capital whiles other young entrepreneurs also battle with survival in the market. Their inability to manage these challenges well affects their career development and progress.

It is in this regard that Youth Without Borders Ghana and Kumasi Hive are organizing a public forum on the theme: Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship Forum. The Forum will focus on the challenges of young entrepreneurs and graduates in the modern dispensation. At the end of the forum, participants would gain new knowledge on ensuring career success in the face of the aforementioned challenges.

DISTINGUISHED SPEAKERS

? MR ISAAC KOBINA DONTWI, FINANCE AND INVESTMENT LECTURER, KNUST

?MRS. AMA DUNCAN, CORPORATE TRAINER AND FOUNDER OF THE FABULOUS WOMEN NETWORK.

?MR GEORGE APPIAH, CO-FOUNDER AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER (CEO), KUMASI HIVE.

DETAILS
?Monday, 1st May 2016
: 16:00 GMT TO 18:00GMT
?: Kumasi Hive, Kentinkrono ,Behind Mizpah School
Rate: *Free but Registration Required*

TARGET PARTICIPANTS

The main target participants of the Forum are students, fresh graduates, service personnel, entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs, youth activists and other stakeholders of youth development, etc.

BENEFITS
Networking
Mentorship
Opportunity to pitch business ideas
The will be refreshment for participants

Youth Without Borders Ghana Presents Career Women And Leadership Summit

ywb-2

The Youth Without Borders (YWB) Ghana in collaboration with The Women’s Commission of the Graduate Students’ Association of Ghana (GRASAG)-UPSA organized a Career Women and Leadership Summit on the theme: “Everyday Governance; The Career Woman’s Perspective” The summit focused on leadership and best practices was to enhance the skills and potential of women leaders within the corporate world. The high-level caliber of speakers provided information on how women can secure their future in this complex corporate world.

Youth Without Borders (YWB) Ghana Organizes its Maiden Youth Technology and Business Summit

The Youth Without Borders (YWB) Ghana, a youth membership based non-governmental organization with focus on youth development and empowerment organized a successful Youth Technology and Business Summit at the Auditorium of College of Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi. The summit which took place on the 11th November, 2016 was on the theme: “Harnessing Opportunities and Empowering the Youth through Entrepreneurship in the Global Village”. The Youth Technology and Business Summit was a platform for Luminaries and Visionaries to share current tips and tools that enable competitive advantage on the technology scene. The Summit was also designed to cover a wide range of all-inclusive topics that affect students, entrepreneurs, corporations, start-ups and business innovation.