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Youth
Raise Right To Education Demand in Togo
By Noel Tadegnon, Inter Press Service |
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 LOME,
Apr 25 (IPS) - Young Togolese activists are using the upcoming
World Forum on Education in Dakar, Senegal, to remind their
government of the commitment made 10 years ago to promote Education
for All (EFA) people. |
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| A
nationwide campaign was recently launched by the youth in which
they are calling for ''Quality Education for All'' from their
government. |
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| In
a series of activities spread over one week they said it was
high time the government delivered on its campaign pledge to
provide ''Education for All in the Year 2000''. |
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In
a statement submitted to the authorities, the young activists
pointed out that many of their peers, especially those living
in rural areas, do not have access to education. The situation
for girls, they added, is even worse.
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| "We
have the right to an education, and we respectfully request
that you provide it during our lifetime,'' they assert in their
message. |
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| In
Togo, universal education for all children and adults is a distant
dream. The selling of children into slavery is often cited as
an obstacle to the spread of education. |
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| In
rural areas, illiterate children are torn from their parents
by agents and sold into slavery in other African countries,
to work under the most abominable conditions. |
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| One
of the fundamental reasons for this situation is poverty. The
destitute parents believe they are delivering their children
over to people who will provide them with a good education and
a better life. But in fact the children are severely abused. |
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| ''Parents
who can no longer feed or educate their children prefer to give
them over to these shady characters for ridiculously small sums
of money. To them, it means fewer mouths to feed,'' laments
an official of a non-governmental organization (NGO). |
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The children, who are then placed or resold, work as domestics
or as farm or factory workers. They are exploited in every way.
The girls, specially, suffer sexual violence. They receive no
education whatsoever. |
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| Elisabeth
Blanchet, a French photographer, has done a photo report on
domestic maids, who, for the most part, are minors. These pictures
show children, who live from hand-to-mouth, getting their education
on the streets. |
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| There
are some programmes designed to help these street children.
Suzanne Aho, director of Mother and Child Protection Services,
was able to create a group of them and provide them with some
schooling. Others have been sent to vocational centers or have
been encouraged to return to school. |
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| The
educational system in Togo is in a mess. For many years, political
and social unrest has disrupted school functioning, especially
in public schools. |
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| Strikes
have become commonplace, and some teaching staff are demanding
they should be part of the civil service. Others insist they
must be given several months of unpaid wages. |
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| The
University of Benin in Lome is experiencing similar problems.
The students and staff are continually calling for improved
facilities and working conditions, as well as the timely payment
of scholarships, university assistance, and salaries. |
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| The
Togolese government, which is in a severe economic crisis, has
not been able to satisfy the needs of the student and faculty,
who began an indefinite strike on Apr. 12. |
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| Agitated
students hold demonstrations which often degenerate into violence
and destruction. This year on Mar. 20, skirmishes on the Lome
campus between students and unidentified individuals left one
person dead and two gravely injured. |
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| Some
days before that incident, the office and car of the director
of the National Center for University Affairs were vandalized.
Several students were arrested and indicted. Those who fled
have warrants out for their arrest. |
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| 'Togo's
education system is no longer able to meet the expectations
of students and teachers. |
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'Togolese parents who can afford to pay are sending their children
outside the country for an education but that is just a small
percentage. The majority of Togo's youth have no choice but
to press for reforms and improvements in education. |
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| This
article is free of copyright restrictions and can be reproduced
provided that Inter Press Service is credited. |
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