A 16-member National Cadet Board, including representatives of the military, Fire Service and Ghana Education Service (GES), has been inaugurated at the Headquarters of the GES to oversee the running of Cadet Corps in schools.

Mr. Jacob Kor, Director-General of GES, in a brief remark, said it was important for schools and institutions to take extra-curricular activities seriously so as to make education much more holistic and relevant to the needs of modern society.

According to Mr. Kor, the concept of school cadet, when managed well, could help curb the rising spate of indiscipline among students and youth. “Apart from helping to instill discipline in students, Cadet Corps equips the youth with basic skills in security, peace building and landscape designing. I urge all schools to have it formed in order to supplement the knowledge that students acquire through formal education for better life.”

Members of the Board include: Mr. Jacob Kor (GES); Superintendent Cephas Arthur (Ghana Police Service); Abdulai Yakubu (Public Sector Reforms); Reverend Frank Lartey (National Youth Authority); Captain Richard Awiaga (retd.) of the Customs Division of Ghana Revenue Authority; and Lt. Col. Asare Boakye-Yiadom (Ghana Army).

Others are: Lt. Cdr. A.K. Sarfo of Ghana Navy; Wg. Cdr. Theodora Agormyo (Ghana Air Force); Nicholas Nii Tettey-Amarteifio (National Cadet Office); Lt. Col. Frank Kusi-Darko (National Security); and DO II Gilbert Klutse of Ghana National Fire Service.

The rest are: Cecilia Kwakye of Conference of Heads of Assisted Senior High Schools; Alexander Yaw Arphal (Ministry of Youth and Sports); Mrs. Felicia Boakye-Yiadom of the Greater Accra Regional Directorate of Education; Mr. P.A.K Danyo of the Public Sector Reforms; and Emmanuel Demenyah of the Physical Education Unit of GES.

Mr. Nicholas Nii Tettey-Amarteifio, National Cadet Coordinator-General, urged members of the Board to work tirelessly to ensure that the best of education and training is churned out to the youth through Cadet.

“The National Cadet Office does not operate in isolation. We always ensure that we liaise well with stakeholders, especially with the GES, in the planning and execution of all activities and programmes. Even our regional offices are located at the regional offices of GES for proper coordination”, he said.

Started in 1954 at the Ghana Secondary Technical School in Takoradi as a school cadet with officers of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Police and Fire Service as members, the National Cadet Corps now boasts of over 70, 000 members in almost 300 senior high schools across the country with the aim of equipping students and youth with basic skills in discipline, security and peace building.