Suhum, Oct.09, GNA- The President of the Valley View University (VVU) of the Seventh Day Adventist Church (SDA), Pastor Dr. Seth Laryea, has noted that the marginalisation of education units of private and public schools was not helpful for the development of the partnership between the Church and government in the provision of quality education. "Let us examine the situation carefully and make some adjustments in the current decentralized system of educational administration at the basic level with cognisance of the role each partner plays in the education of our youth", he cautioned.

Addressing the 10th anniversary celebration of the Suhum SDA Complex Schools on at the weekend, Dr Laryea stressed that the existing education units should be more involved in the running of church private schools to strengthen the partnership that had existed for years. The theme for the celebration was, "The Church and school as partners in the development of the child".

Dr. Laryea asked Churches to step up their efforts in the development of children and invest more in their education by supporting the provision of quality education more than they were doing to nurture the relationship between the church and the school for the mutual benefit of society at large.

He decried the rate of moral decadence in the society, citing lack of parental care, divorce, single-parenthood and child neglect as moral occurrences, which rampant in society and urged the church to entrench righteous family life in society.

Dr. Laryea said it was not for nothing that the society looked up to Christians to champion the cause of righteousness by showing the way in responsible education, "because society knows whom we follow and what he teaches us."

He, however, regretted that the church had allowed society to set standards for it to follow "by being satisfied with having large followers who fail to demonstrate Christian stewardship in their lifestyles to the detriment of the very society they had to be trailblazer in all areas."

He called on Christians to check those tendencies to redeem the image of the church.

The Deputy Country Director of the Adventist Relief Agency (ADRA), Dr Kwame Brown, said the country needed education that would prepare minds and hearts for service needed in the country's development, hence the SDA was setting up schools to help achieve that purpose. He told the children that education was becoming a keen competition, especially with the introduction of the computerized placement system, and therefore asked them to concentrate more on their studies to be able to achieve their goal.

Dr Brown, on behalf of the ADRA, donated books worth several millions of cedis to the school's library and pledged the support of ADRA in ensuring that the school attained its aspiration. The Local Manager of the Suhum SDA Complex Schools, Pastor Okyere Baffuor, said the school, which was established in 1995 with 12 pupils, now had an enrolment of 386 pupils in both the primary and JSS levels.

He said the first batch of students presented in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) this year, scored 100 per cent pass and thanked the Church and the local authorities for their immense support that had led to the school's progress so far.

Pastor Baffuor noted, with satisfaction that the school now had adequate classrooms, but appealed to the district assembly to help provide the school with potable water and electricity.