A disturbing trend is emerging in the Talensi District of Ghana's Upper East Region, where increasing numbers of girls aged 13 to 16 are abandoning school to cohabit with illegal miners, performing domestic duties akin to marriage.
According to a report put together by Asaase News, Education officials are raising red flags as school enrollment and attendance, especially at the Junior High School level, continue to fall sharply in galamsey-affected areas. "These girls are cohabiting with young boys and older miners at the sites, cooking, cleaning, and in many cases, becoming pregnant," said Christiana Azure Ayinzoya, Talensi's District Director of Education, in an interview with Asaase News. "By the time we trace some of them, they are already pregnant or have dropped out completely." Boys are also abandoning classrooms to chase quick money in the mines, often disappearing after registering for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), only to be disqualified later due to absenteeism.
In 2023 alone, seven girls wrote the BECE while pregnant.
Though Ghana's re-entry policy allows pregnant students to return to school, many never do, overwhelmed by poor attendance, academic setbacks, and the allure of mining income.
