The modern literature pedagogical unit of Tiébissou (Centre, Bélier region), organized an awareness campaign against early leave at the Coffi Gadeau modern high school in Tiébissou.

In partnership with a former student of Gadeau high school and currently a French teacher in Gohitafla, Patrice kouakou, the UP of Tiébissou organized, on Wednesday May 10, 2023, an inter-school poetry and short story reading competition, written by candidates from the collective of literary clubs, under the theme “Zero early leave”.

The competition was not specifically dedicated to girls, but by chance the six competing schools were represented by girls, said the president of the organizing committee, Bandama N’Guessan.

At the end of the declamation of poems and the reading of short stories, including “If I had known”, “Dark day”, “the gangrene”, “Melody of sadness and Jhoké”, “the mechanic”, which denounce the many harmful consequences of early leave, by about fifteen girls, the Bill Gates college came in first place, followed by the modern high school Coffi Gadeau, ahead respectively of the Marcel Ranchin college, the Enoc college, the Academy college and the Kan college.

All participating schools were rewarded with collections of poems and short stories, written by the students and a play written by Patrice Kouakou.

At this ceremony, the representatives of the prefect and the mayor, as well as the principal of the Coffi Gadeau high school, Diabaté Adama, expressed their support for the initiators of this awareness campaign before urging the learners to take ownership of it.

‘This awareness, which should help public school heads and promoters of private colleges, as well as parents of students who invest in the education of their children, meets with the consent of the municipal council. And Mayor N’Dri Koffi intends to get involved in the next editions, ‘said the mayor’s representative, Kouamé Kouadio Bianco.

The regional human rights council of Bélier and the departmental president of the national youth council of Côte-D’Ivoire (CNJCI), also provided their support for this activity intended to guarantee peace of mind at school and to ensure the right to education.

The initiator of the activity, Patrice Kouakou justified his commitment against these anticipated holidays.

‘You know, for a few years the anticipated holidays involving a series of violence, constitute a real gangrene for the Ivorian school (…) But it is especially after the students of Gohitafla had in December 2020, set fire to the residence of the deputy prefect and ransacked the gendarmerie and the brigade commander’s home, which I decided to contribute through this kind of literary competition on the theme of raising awareness against early leave, “explained Patrice Kouakou.

“It is through these mixed collections of poems and short stories that we publish from these awareness sessions that we want to say ”Farewell to anticipated holidays” as the collective of literary clubs of Tiébissou baptized its collection of poems and news,” said Patrice Kouakou.

Source: Agence Ivoirienne de Presse