Child Rights International has launched a report on the state of the Ghanaian child in the next 20 years.
The survey sampled opinions from 11, 288 children with ages ranging between 12 and 17 years in all 16 regions of the country. It was initiated to solicit information on the life experience of Ghanaian children about the present and their vision for the future.
However, the finding came out that, out of 11, 288 children, 55% want to leave the country by the year 2040 citing jobs, education and better standard of living as the reasons. A situation the Child Rights International describes as very disheartening.
The survey also indicated that, over 90% of respondents said they are proud to be Ghanaians citing peace and stability, freedom of speech, system of democracy, cultural diversity and country’s natural resources as factors.
With regards to opinions of children on religion, the survey indicated that, 81% said religion was important while 73% said religion is personal as opposed to religious affiliation of their family.
With children’s attitude towards agriculture career in the future, only 20% would want to develop a career in the sector while 80% expressed uncertainty due to lack of startup capital.
Speaking at the launch of the report, Executive Director of Child Rights International, Bright Appiah said there must be a conscious effort by Government to provide better standards of living for the citizenry.
The survey findings also indicate that, some respondents believe that the country can change in the next 20 years if issues like corruption and unemployment are tackled as well as encouraging entrepreneurship, limiting the powers of politicians and investing in quality education.
Finally, the results suggest that, religious influence in the country is likely to change in the next two decades as more children embrace the idea that hard work, educational qualification and individual talents are important factors they need to succeed in life rather than religious beliefs and practices.
