The Minister of Education, Mr. Lee Ocran, on Monday advised students to learn hard while they had the opportunity, in order to have a sound future.

"The opportunity you have today may not be the same tomorrow."

Mr. Ocran was hosting twenty students who had earlier received the President's Independence Day Award, for excelling in their BECE exams, to a luncheon in Accra.

"If you give your all towards your education today, you would grow into responsible adults who would contribute their quota towards the development of the nation."

He urged the students to also endeavor to be politicians besides the other professions they aspired towards, in order to positively influence national development.

Mr. Ocran condemned parents who were in the habit of physically assaulting teachers over the treatment of their wards.

He said sometimes, teachers got beaten up over issues that could have been handled in a much more civil manner.

The Minister said he would do all in his power to ensure that laws were made to protect teachers from being assaulted.

He urged parents not to shirk their responsibilities towards their children but to ensure that the children had good education, which ensured their future success.

Twenty students made up a boy and a girl from each of the ten regions, were selected for this year’s award.