Regional News of Monday, 8 November 2004

Source: GNA

Quality education required role models

Kukurantumi, Nov 8, GNA - Mr Justice Julius Ansah, a Supreme Court Judge, has called on the country's political leaders to address the issue of education and how to make it accessible to every child in their campaign.

He was speaking at the 43rd Speech and Prize-Giving Day of the Ofori Panin Secondary School (OPASS) at Kukurantumi on Saturday, on the theme, "Quality education in contemporary Ghana".

Mr Justice Ansah noted that the quest for quality education could not take place without the required political initiative. He called for improved remuneration and working conditions for teachers and other staff in the education sector for the desire for quality education to be achieved.

The Supreme Court Judge commended the government to the decision to provide every district with a model Senior Secondary School (SSS) and called for the inclusion of OPASS in the programme to increase enrolment.

Mr Justice Ansah, who is an old student of the school, praised the authorities of OPASS for increasing the intake of girls. He expressed concern about immorality among the youth and attributed it to their exposure to foreign influences through films and reading materials.

"Very few adults, parents and leaders can now boast of being acceptable as role models for the younger generation," he said. The Headmaster of the school, Mr Kwaku Kyei-Brobbey, said the school's current enrolment of 1720, comprised 1,070 girls and 650 boys and therefore called for an additional girls' dormitory block. He appealed to the government, the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) and the East Akim District Assembly for assistance in the provision of infrastructure in the school. The Headmaster especially called for help to complete the assembly hall complex, the provision of vehicles and more staff bungalows.