Galamsey draws Talensi girls from classrooms into domestic roles – Report

A troubling trend is emerging in the Talensi District of Ghana’s Upper East Region. More girls aged 13 to 16 are leaving school. They are cohabiting with illegal miners and performing domestic duties like marriage.

Asaase News reports that education officials are concerned. School enrollment and attendance are dropping sharply, especially in areas affected by galamsey.

“These girls live with young boys and older miners,” said Christiana Azure Ayinzoya, Talensi’s District Director of Education. “They cook, clean, and often become pregnant.” She added that many girls drop out completely before they can be traced.

Boys are also leaving school for quick money in the mines. Many disappear after registering for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE). They often get disqualified due to absenteeism.

In 2023, seven pregnant girls took the BECE. Ghana’s re-entry policy allows them to return to school, but many do not. They struggle with poor attendance and academic setbacks while being drawn to mining income.

Efforts to bring these children back from mining camps have been slow. “Sometimes we negotiate with the men they’re living with,” Ayinzoya explained. “We just want them back in school.”

Even when some girls return, they face challenges. “We register them for exams, but many are unprepared,” she said. “They’ve spent the year in mining pits instead of school.”

Talensi’s academic performance shows this struggle clearly. The BECE pass rate improved from 26 to 46 percent under Ayinzoya's leadership but remains below 50 percent.

Family dynamics are changing as well. Some children return home with food and cash from mining work, undermining parental authority. “They bring noodles and money; parents can’t compete,” she noted. “Discipline is collapsing as poverty robs families of control.”

Ayinzoya warns that illegal mining may offer quick gains but harms children's futures. “Gold doesn’t reproduce; education is a lasting investment,” she stated.

She calls for urgent action against illegal mining and stronger community support to prevent a generational crisis in Talensi.