Sunyani, March 23, GNA – A senior lecturer at the Sunyani Polytechnic at the weekend called for the creation and integration of academic and career counseling units into the educational curricula to give realistic meaning to basic and second cycle education.

Mr Forster Adade observed that because there are no such avenues to guide students to unearth and nurture as well as build on their career objectives and goals, basic education become meaningless to many of them.

He was addressing more than 2,000 final year students preparing for the Basic Education Certificate Education (BECE) and West African Senior High School Certificate Examinations at a summit in Sunyani.

Dubbed “Youth Empowerment Summit (YES)”, the programme, instituted by Pastor William F Kumuyi, General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Ministry, is an annual event aimed at preparing the final year students spiritually and academically to enable them write their examinations successfully.

Mr Adade blamed the abysmal performance of students and the fallen standards of education to distortions in educational policies, stressing that priority ought to be placed on basic education as it served as the fundamentals of attaining quality education.

“When pupils and students are able to identify their potentials at the basic level, they will be in the better position to build up on that”, he said, and advised teachers to create avenues to help students unearth and nurture their talents so they would grow to become responsible adults.

Mr Adade observed that Mathematics, Science and Technology had become very essential, because of globalization, and advised teachers to endeavour to make teaching of the subjects lively to sustain the interest of students.

He said without the subjects, students could not pursue higher and achieve academic laurels and excellence.

Mr Adade warned students against destroying institutional properties, stressing that students who always disrespect and stand against authority, bring curses onto themselves.

He told the students the best way they could seek redress for their grievances was to channel them through the appropriate and laid down procedures.

Mr Adade cautioned them against unhealthy lifestyles that could ruin their lives, and asked them to avoid examination malpractices.

Pastor Robert Lugushie, Brong-Ahafo Regional Youth Coordinator of the Deeper Life Bible Church, entreated the students to learn hard and always concentrate and revise their notes during their leisure hours.

He observed that though God worked miracles through prayers, students who failed to read their books would not pass their examinations.

Pastor Lugushie said the youth ministry of the church had taken the responsibility to help reverse the trend of acts of immorality which had gradually eaten into the fibre of society.

Under the theme “empowerment for greatness”, topics treated at the summit which also brought scholars in the academia included “taking the right steps for a successful future”, “making appropriate choice for a happy future”, making progress inosite of difficulties, benefits for entrepreneurial skills for youths” and “repositioning today’s youth for entrepreneurship”.