President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has challenged parents to play a lead role in educating children about unique Ghanaian cultural and traditional values.

Speaking at the 67th Independence Day anniversary in the Eastern Region, the president argued that preserving culture across generations could not be left solely to the teacher.

“There is certainly more to moulding a Ghanaian child than what our hard-working teachers do every day. Too many parents have relinquished their responsibilities of bringing up children to what happens in schools,” he bemoaned.

He contended, “There is more to preparing a child to face the world than what can be taught in the classrooms.

“If we are to take pride in being Ghanaian, there should be a consensus on the values we all revere, and we should transmit them to every generation.”

President Akufo-Addo called for a holistic transmission of culture that transcends just the food and the arts but emphasises indigenous values that have moulded society.

“I do not only refer to our music, arts, dance, food, language and fashion that form the basis of our national identity. I refer to the values that set us apart as Ghanaians,” he elucidated.

The Independence Day Celebration witnessed a rich display of Ghanaian arts and culture, with each of Ghana’s 16 regions staging colourful renditions of their dance, food, costumes and relics.

His reference to Ghanaian values comes at a time when Ghana’s Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill has been passed by parliament, awaiting the president’s accent.