Wellbeing of children improved since schools reopened – GSS

The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has revealed that on all nine indicators of the wellbeing of children between 4 and 17 years old, improvements are reported compared to the period before January 2021, when schools were reopened.

The GSS said children feel less distressed, less afraid and less sad, but also are less likely to experience physical punishment and less likely to work.

“Only how often children help with chores does not seem to be as affected by the reopening of schools,” the GSS said in its COVID-19 Households and Jobs Tracker Wave 3.

The tracker further indicated that COVID-19 was not a major reason people did not work in the 7 days prior to the interview. Of the 26.7% of people who indicated that they did not work in the previous seven days, only 4.3% gave COVID-19 as a reason for not working.

“However, business closure (15.9%) was often mentioned. The most common reasons for not working were being temporarily absent or because they are a seasonal worker

“Only 26.7% of respondents indicated that their total household income stayed the same as compared to the period before COVID-19 (March 16, 2020). 5.1% of respondents indicated that their total income increased, while 68.2% indicated that their household income
decreased.

“Of the different sources of income, non-farm family business income saw the biggest reduction. 77.3% of households with income derived from a non-farm family business saw a decrease in income and only 4.4% reported an increase in income.

” The 4.2% of households who got income from pension saw the smallest change of this income source. 76.7% reported no change in pension income, 13.0% a reduction and 10.3% an increase,” it said.