The National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) has disclosed that absenteeism in schools in mining communities is on the rise due to the activities of illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey.
President of NAGRAT, Angel Carbonu, told Caleb Kudah on the Citi Breakfast Show on Citi FM on Tuesday, September 17, that students in galamsey endemic communities are not regular in school, which he said affects teaching and learning.
“Students are not even regular in schools in mining communities because they see that engaging in galamsey brings them immediate money than they can ever dream of as students and this is affecting teaching and learning in the schools.”
Stressing on the challenges encountered in the fight against the galamsey menace, Mr. Carbonu indicated that “the beneficiaries of this illegal mining are the political persons who have the means to purchase machines to employ the youth to engage in the destruction of our environment,” which he said makes it hard to win.
The NAGRAT President therefore called on the government to, among other things, ban all forms of small-scale mining and stop the issuance of licences for the prospecting of gold in waterbodies and forest reserves.
“When you find yourself in crisis, you take measures to stop the bleeding so you ban all small-scale mining activities nationwide. Call for the withdrawal of all machinery from the bushes, forests, and rural areas.
“Identify persons engaged in this illegality and punish them according to law. Stop immediately, the issuance of licenses for the prospecting of gold or whatever it is and also for mining in this country.”
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