Today is International Day of Families. The annual observance of the International Day of Families reflects the dedication and importance that countries attach to the global stance that ‘family’ is the core foundation for the promotion of educational, social, economic, demographic and even societal development.

This is why countries worldwide encourage the observance of this day with focus on highlighting the challenges associated with family life and emphasizing the need to address the growing spate of family breakdowns; which renders children the worst affected victims.

In Ghana, research shows that most vulnerable children are products of broken homes, negative societal norms, superstitious beliefs, poverty and child abandonment. Consequently, something as key as their education, which represents an enduring promise for a better future is effectively jeopardized.

It is against this background that SOS Children's Villages Ghana is particularly elated at this year’s International Day of Families under the theme: Families, Education and Well-being.

Although Government can boast of having done a lot for the Ghanaian child, there is still much more to be done to ensure that children get the very best in the country. According to the 2014/15 Education Management Information System (EMIS), the national net enrolment rate (NER) for primary school was 89%. This means that 11% of children of appropriate school-going age are not in school. This is an indication that more effort is needed to ensure that enrolment is expanded.

This notwithstanding, ignorance, illiteracy and lack of information are aggravating the situation; perpetuating poverty, thus affecting the education of children as parents who have difficulty in meeting the basic needs of their family are unlikely to send their children to school.

It is no gainsaying therefore, that an organized, committed, supportive and well-functioning families are primary instructors for young children and are truly necessary to their emotional well-being; impacting their educational attainments.

The first 8 years of a child’s life is critical for physical, social, cognitive and emotional development. Early childhood education (target 4 of the Sustainable Development Goals [SDG's]) is therefore crucial in preparing children for primary education. Beyond that, research indicates that early childhood learning lasts a lifetime and brings about many benefits. How children are parented and cared for affects their brain development and function for the years to come. Investments in early childhood care, education and development therefore help to curtail gaps putting children from lower socio-economic backgrounds at a disadvantage.

Children, more than anything else, need their parents to support them on their lifelong educational journey. This underscores the need for strengthening of programmes supporting parental education and developing parental skills to contribute to the achievement of SDG4 (Quality Education).

As we commemorate this day, may we all be reminded of the undeniable truth that the family is the first point of socialization, especially during the first decade of life. It is therefore the primary responsibility of parents and caregivers to impart the right values to the child and ensure early childhood education and lifelong learning opportunities to better the lot of our beloved country. It is crucial in this context that families endeavour to stick and stay together, allowing nothing to tear them apart. As Confucius once said, ''the strength of a nation derives from the integrity of home''.

We wish to take this opportunity to call on government, employers, corporate organisations, religious & traditional leaders, and other key duty bearers to support families to discharge their duty of facilitating and promoting quality education for children, especially underprivileged children; in order to improve their quality of life so they contribute to societal/community development in future. It is time to work harder to sustain school enrolment; bearing in mind that quality education is key to breaking the poverty cycle; for the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

SOS Children's Villages Ghana wishes all a happy International Day of Families. As we celebrate, let's all endeavour to stick together as families in spite of all the challenges confronting us. Let us fully support our children to secure the future as a country.

SOS Children's Villages Ghana is a social development organisation dedicated to child welfare and related issues. The organisation works for and promotes the interests of vulnerable children, by providing basic care, education, good nutrition, shelter, healthcare, strengthening of their families, and advocating their human rights through its two core programmes: Family Based Care (for children who have lost parental care) and Family Strengthening Programme (community intervention schemes geared towards vulnerable families with children who stand the risk of losing parental care).