Complementary education gives vulnerable children a second chance – Dr. Apaak

Deputy Minister for Education, Dr. Clement Abas Apaak, has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to complementary education, describing it as a vital pathway for giving vulnerable children a second chance.

Speaking during the presentation of LaserJet Pro MFP printers and computers to Regional Directors of the Complementary Education Agency at the Ghana Literacy House in Accra to strengthen their work.

Dr. Apaak stressed that complementary education plays a crucial role in helping learners develop the knowledge, values and skills needed to become productive members of society.

He said complementary education provides opportunities for children and adults who are outside the formal school system to acquire literacy, numeracy and life skills that enable them to contribute meaningfully to national development.

“I have a soft spot for complementary education for a number of reasons,” he said.

The Deputy Minister recalled how the former non-formal education programme, popularly known as the “cowboy school” system, transformed the lives of many Ghanaians, including people from his own community.

“If you know my background, where I come from, you will appreciate why I appreciate what used to be non-formal education with the famous cowboy school,” he stated.

According to him, many people who benefited from the programme have become respectable and productive members of society.

“Our fathers had the benefit of getting educated through the cowboy school system. Because of that, today some of them are members in good standing in society,” he noted.

Dr. Apaak emphasized that complementary education has become even more important because of the growing number of out-of-school children, especially at the basic level.

“And so your programme that targets those children who are below tertiary is one of the most significant,” he said.

He urged officials of the Complementary Education Agency to intensify efforts to reach children while they are still young, explaining that early intervention produces better educational and social outcomes.

“We are looking after you to help us get them while they are still young, before they become adults,” he said.

He added, “If we can get learners at a younger age, it’s much more economical in terms of the investments that we make as a nation.”

Complementary education refers to flexible learning programmes that operate outside Ghana’s traditional formal school system.

They include accelerated basic education for out-of-school children, remedial classes for school dropouts, and functional literacy and skills training programmes for youths and adults, helping learners reintegrate into formal education or acquire practical skills for everyday life.