Accra, Sept. 19, GNA - Mr Alfred Vanderpuije, Mayor of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly on Saturday reiterated government's determination to abolish the shift system, which is currently being run by basic schools within the metropolis.

He said the system was not conducive for effective learning as well as undertaking of other extra-curricula activities by pupils. Mr Vanderpuije was speaking on the topic "Love, the Virtue that Binds Without A Cord," to mark this year's Family Togetherness Day celebration of the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Church at Mataheko in Accra.

He said under the shift system, half of the pupils attend classes in the morning and closed at midday, to make way for the other half to use the same facilities for their studies.

After two weeks, those who attend classes in the morning shift are made to come for classes in the afternoon and vice versa. Last Tuesday, Mr Alex Tettey-Enyo, Minister of Education on a visit to selected schools in the Greater Accra Region to mark "My First Day in School" announced that government would abolish the shift system. Mr Vanderpuije said government would only do things that were in the best interest of the state adding that the shift system would be reversed to give comfort to pupils.

He said government was working to improve on the performance of the country's economy to lessen the plight of Ghanaians. Mr Vanderpuije expressed displeasure at developments such as building on waterways, doing business without permit and failing to pay taxes and called on members to eschew those behaviours and lead exemplary life.

Touching on the topic for the celebration, the Mayor said God's action by giving His son to save mankind was a demonstration of His sense of responsibility.

He called on Christians to be kind to one another and be responsible to their family's welfare as well as that of their community and country.

'Let us demonstrate our love for our children by giving them the best of education, spend quality time with them, help them with their homework, provide their needs, set high standards and support them to reach them,' he said.

Mr Vanderpuije said, often, people proclaimed love for one another but that love was sometimes not genuine and called on them to emulate Jesus Christ's love to mankind when he died on the cross for their redemption.

He said that love was what would propel the country to the level that everyone would want her to get to.

He called for building of strong family relationships, which he said, would lead to development of all in the family. Mr Daniel Dei, Accra West Central District Pastor of the SDA church called on members to spend quality time with their families, saying when families were strong, the nation would also be strong. The Family Togetherness Day is celebrated worldwide in the third week of every September by SDA churches to allow families to interact and share time together with their children. 19 Sept. 09