Opinions of Tuesday, 3 August 2004

Columnist: Tossturn

Investigate Kumasi High Students Admission -Rejoinder

I find Prof. Andam's claim for a background check on future students of KNUST who would come from Kumasi High School discriminatory.

Of course, it is understandable to ensure that our students and future leaders of our nation receive the training that merit responsiblity and accountablity. This is where I would agree with the Professor that zero tolerance for insubodination should be the goal of the University. Because Sobriety, discipline and submissiion to leadership and authority are indispensable attributes of success at any level of any society, including Ghana. Therefore, the need to ensure that certain standards be met. But to single out a school and the students is discriminatory and unjustified.

We cannot raise the bar for one group of students and lower it for others simply because three or four rowdy students have caused violence in their school. The professor cannot tell the nation that everybody in High School was involved and therefore every student is violent. My take is that if KNUST will do a background check on all new students, so be it but to do a check on some and leave the rest is below the belt.

This is not in anyway to condone the violence or the bad behavior of some of the students in the school. Neither is this a bid to justify the error but we cannot allow the school and the students to be used as scape goats.

Scape goats? Yes! What about the schools where the students are known to be alcoholics? We all read News Reports about incidents of alcoholism among JSS students. We saw pictures of children who were drunk! They cannot be excused if they have to enter the university because alcoholism cannot be tolerated at the Universities since statistics prove that alcohol and violence are partners in business.

What about the "hedonists" and the pleasure seekers? What about schools where murder is known to have occured periodically? What about the schools where sexual promiscuity is their order? Can the KNUST admit these students without a background check?

What am I saying? What I am saying to you is "OBIARA BA NYE". There are bad apples in every school and it will be a grave mistake to single out a school to make laws for while the rest go untouched

If the school is no good, then the Ministry of Education should shut it down but do not discriminate against them

Let's watch out otherwise we will ignorantly justify discrimination in a country where freedom and justice is our emblem.