Education Is Key To Sustainable Development Of SDGs –GNAT-LAS

The Third Quadrennial Regional Conference of the Ghana National Association of Teachers Ladie GNAT_LAS has been held in Bolgatanga.

It was under theme “Transforming Societies through Education, And Women Empowerment Towards Achieving Agenda 2030”.

According to the Headmistress of the Bolgatanga Senior High School, Mrs, Rose Avonsige, education is the critical foundation for the attainment of all the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Mrs. Avonsige made the observation when she delivered a public lecture organized by Upper East Regional branch of GNAT-LAS in Bolgatanga.

 

The Lecture which formed part of the activities marking the third Quadrennial Regional Roundtable Conference of the Upper East Regional branch of GNAT-LAS, was also used to take stock of activities of the Association over the years and to chart the way forward as well as to elect new regional officers into office.

Mrs. Avonsige cited for instance that without education it would be very difficult if not impossible for families and farmers to adopt new farming technologies that would improve upon agriculture and entrepreneurial endeavors to help address poverty and hunger which are among the goals   of the SDGs.

She pointed out that the  reduction of child mortality and improvement of maternal health care are improved more than 50 per cent when women have the opportunity to have improved education enabling them to understand how, why and where to obtain health services.

She stated that Goal seven of the SDGs which focuses on Environmental Sustainability could easily be achieved if people attain education and their attitudes changed, stressing this will help reduce diseases such as malaria and keep children in school and also allow people especially farmers to attend to their businesses to increase productivity.

Mrs Avonsige indicated that the Goal two which places  more emphasis on the  Universal Access to Primary  Education could also be achieved through laying the proper foundation of education and  stressed the need for  Government, Non-Governmental Organizations, Philanthropists, Corporate Organizations and parents to pay priority in the area of investing in education.

Whilst acknowledging the fact that Government and other partners’ interventions had empowered women to some appreciable level, the Guest Speaker advocated for more women to be appointed to leadership positions.

The empowerment of women leads to the overall development of society. Economic empowerment provides the opportunities for women to support in the educational development of their wards and indeed the development of society.

The Regional Coordinator of GNAT-LAS, Ms Jane Asare Dartey, explained that the Association as a national body was formed in 1985 to help address the low representation of females in GNAT union and stated this had been achieved to some appreciable level.

She indicated that her outfit at the regional level had organized series of programmes including breast and cervical cancer screening, public lecture on maternity, capacity building for female teachers among others.

 

She stated that the Association would continue to fight and to champion for the welfare of female teachers.

 

Addressing the Conference, the Regional Secretary of GNAT, Mr Adobasom Ibrahim, stated that the Women Union had contributed a lot to the overall development of GNAT and indicated that most of the activities undertaken by GNAT had become successful because of GNAT-LAS. Beauty pageant   competition was also organized as part of the activities.