The Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr. Frank Amoakohene, has launched a targeted advocacy campaign aimed at discouraging the involvement of male children in mining activities across the region’s mining districts.
The initiative seeks to reverse a growing trend of school dropout among boys who are abandoning classrooms for quick income in galamsey and legal mining operations.
The campaign commenced on Tuesday, 7th July 2026, with sensitization visits to Akotaa Basic School and Agogoso Primary School in the Atwima Mponua District, where Dr. Amoakohene engaged pupils directly in their classrooms.
“Education Must Come First”
During the visits, the Minister observed a worrying gender disparity in attendance. Girls significantly outnumbered boys in almost every classroom, while the few boys on the register at Akotaa Basic School were plagued by chronic absenteeism.
“Communities cannot afford to sit by and watch young boys sacrifice their long-term future for short-term financial gains in the mining pits,” Dr. Amoakohene told the pupils. “Your education is your real gold. The pit may give you money today, but the classroom gives you a future.”
He emphasized that while girl-child education advocacy has received sustained attention over the years, it is now critical to shine a spotlight on the male child, who is currently more vulnerable to dropping out due to the lure of the mining boom.
“This new initiative is a strategic extension of our existing girl-child education drive,” the Minister explained. “We must ensure that both boys and girls stay in school, learn, and become productive citizens.”
Engaging Communities and Stakeholders
To ensure the sustainability of the campaign, Dr. Amoakohene said he will engage broader stakeholders including traditional authorities, assembly members, and parents to foster a culture that values formal education.
He also pledged to continue direct engagements with students to inspire them to choose literacy and skills development over hazardous labor.
The Minister stressed that the success of the education drive is deeply tied to the broader national fight against illegal mining.
Directive on Age Verification at Mining Sites
In a firm directive, Dr. Amoakohene ordered all task forces and agencies fighting illegal mining in the region to strictly monitor and enforce age restrictions at mining sites.
“Authorities must investigate and verify the ages of labourers at both legal and illegal mining sites to ensure no school-aged children are being exploited,” he said. “Any operator found culpable will face the full rigors of the law.”
He further charged Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) in mining districts to prioritize advocacy and community sensitization as part of their development agenda.
“MMDCEs must lead the charge to keep our boys in school and away from the pits,” Dr. Amoakohene stated. “We cannot develop as a region if we are losing an entire generation of boys to mining.”
The Regional Coordinating Council says the campaign will be rolled out to other mining districts in the coming weeks, with tracking mechanisms to monitor school enrollment and attendance rates among boys.
