A new report by Child Rights International (CRI) has exposed a troubling trend in Ghana’s mining communities: the majority of teenagers living in these areas are not in school.
According to the study—titled The Hidden Toll of Illegal Mining on Children in Ghana—only about 35 per cent of teenagers in mining zones are currently enrolled in school.
The research paints a grim picture of how illegal mining is luring children away from education and into hazardous labor environments.
At a press briefing in Accra on Tuesday, CRI Executive Director Bright Appiah revealed that for children aged 13 to 14, just 18 per cent are attending school, while the number drops even further to 17 per cent among those aged 15 to 17.
He pointed to illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, as the main attraction keeping children out of classrooms.
Appiah explained that children are drawn to the promise of quick money in small-scale mining, especially in areas where formal education seems to offer fewer immediate rewards.
He warned that retention in schools is rapidly declining in communities where mining activities are rampant.
Even among younger children aged 5 to 12, school enrollment is worryingly low.
The report shows that only 65 per cent of children in mining communities are in school, compared to a significantly higher 92 per cent in areas without mining.
The study, conducted between 2023 and 2024 across five key mining regions—Ashanti, Western, Central, Eastern, and Western North—surveyed over 2,000 households and engaged 6,000 children. The gender distribution of respondents included 57 per cent boys and 43 per cent girls.
Beyond school attendance, the report also examined the broader impact of illegal mining on children’s health, safety, and access to clean water.
CRI has called on the government to abolish the community mining initiative, citing its negative influence on children’s education.
It also urged the Minerals Commission and the Gold Board to implement a sustainable framework that safeguards children’s right to education in mining zones.
Additionally, the report emphasized the need to enforce the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) policy more strictly to ensure no child is left behind due to economic or environmental factors.
