Accra, Nov. 13, GNA - Professor John Evans Atta Mills, National Democratic Congress (NDC) Presidential Candidate, on Tuesday declared his support for the Catholic Bishops' Conference in asking for an immediate re-look at the new educational curriculum for basic schools and for the immediate reintroduction of Religious and Moral Education. A statement issued by the Campaign Team of the leader said Prof Mills "believes that if the nation cannot bequeath to the youth anything, it must at least bequeath to them a high sense of morality and uprightness and there is no denying the fact that the teaching of religion and morality in basic schools would provide the needed pivot around which the nation's forward march would revolve".

"John Evans Atta Mills identifies wholly with the stance of the Catholic Bishops Conference, as regards the concern about the inability of the new educational curriculum to accommodate Religious and Moral Education."

The statement said: "The attempt by those in charge of the new curriculum to explain away the unacceptable omission, claiming that Religious and Moral Education had been integrated into some other aspects of the curriculum, is distasteful."

"Indeed, if President Kufuor is worried about the increasing reports of drugs and alcohol abuse among students, as expressed on Saturday, November 13, 2007, when he was addressing the Golden Jubilee celebration of Kumasi Academy, it cannot be lost on the President that the teaching of religion and morality in basic schools can address his concerns."

The statement said, "Religion and morality have been the backbone of Ghana and all well-meaning Ghanaians must support the call of the Catholic Bishops Conference to make sure that without any delay, the educational curriculum finds space for Religious and Moral Education." 13 Nov. 07