He said there was the need to ensure gender equality in all spheres of life and urged kindergarten teachers to sustain the interest of girls admitted at that level of education. Mr Sowah made the call in an interview with the Ghana News Agency when he visited some schools in Accra to acquaint himself with enrolment of kindergarten children.

He was conducted round the schools by Mrs Margaret Frimpong-Kore, the Accra Metropolitan Director of Education, to interact with the teachers and the children. Mr Sowah visited schools in Ablekuma South and Central, Osu Klottey, Okaikoi South and Ayawaso Central, which had recorded the highest girl-child enrolment than boys.

Mr Sowah said he was happy the girls were 136 as against 116 boys, and said; “We need to focus on more women aspiring to the top to promote issues on women’s economic empowerment.”

“The challenges I noticed was that children admitted from the nursery classes can communicate better than those enrolled directly from home, and I want to urge the teachers to maintain their interest so that they become useful citizens,” he said.

The MCE said the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) programme was an opportunity for everyone to send his or her child to school. Mr Sowah called for community involvement in schools’ management to ensure that parents protect their children from negative practices to ensure they grow into responsible adults.

Mrs Frimpong-Kore expressed gratitude to the MCE for his commitment towards quality education and called for more support for schools in Accra.