Osino (E/R), March 21, GNA - Madam Christiana Seiwaa Appiah, a health educationist has attributed the growing undisciplined behaviour among the youth and students in particular to use of hard drugs and urged parents to co-operate with teachers to check the negative habit at an early stage.

Madam Appiah, Fanteakwa District Health Education Officer, made the assertion when she addressed the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) meeting of the Osino Presbyterian Secondary School on Saturday as part of an out-reach programme.

According to her, recent surveys at the Psychiatric Hospitals in the country revealed a growing trend of student admissions. She said in 2001, 525 cases were recorded while in 2002, the cases rose to 590. Mad. Appiah attributed the incidence to peer pressure among students who persuaded their colleagues to take to smoking and drugs use supposedly to enhance their ability to study, which rather landed most of them in mental derangement.

She advised parents to closely observe the behaviour of their children to determine tendencies such as telling lies to defend themselves, pilfering, appearing in unusual dresses or adopting awkward habits and report them to educational or medical experts for attention. Mad. Appiah, who asked parents to visit their wards in boarding schools to learn about them, also urged education stakeholders to assist the government to offer good upbringing to the youth to bring sanity into the society.

She suggested to schools to intensify guidance and counselling, formation of study groups and social clubs to keep the youth gainfully busy to check the resort to anti-social habits. The PTA chairman, Mr Ernest Antwi, asked students to study hard and join clubs of their interest to learn new useful things for their own betterment.

The Headmaster of the School, Mr Kwadwo Acheampong, appealed to parents to assist in the execution of development projects in the school by paying their children's fees and other levies on time.