Accra, July 25, GNA - Professor Mariam Ewurama Addy, a lecturer at the University of Ghana, Legon, has called on the people of Teshie to support the training of the youth in both technical and vocational skills, as it was the only bedrock for national development. She said even though government was doing all it could to promote technical and vocational education, it was important that the communities supported the move to ensure its maximum impact. Prof. Addy was speaking at the 10th graduation ceremony of the Anglican Vocational Technical School at the Weekend.

The 57 graduates took courses in dressmaking, catering, carpentry, joinery, bricklaying and concreting as well as secretarial courses. Prof. Addy said for technical-vocational education and training to play a significant role in the county's development, there was the need for society to change its perception towards the courses. She said: "We need to emphasise on skill acquisition and utilization. One needs knowledge before he or she can effectively perform." Prof. Addy advised the students not to be contented with the basic skills they had acquired, but to strive towards the attainment of higher levels of competence.

She said to further prove its commitment to the improvement of education the Anglican Church had also adopted a youth policy. Prof Addy said it aimed at providing the opportunity for the acquisition of relevant skills by the youth to enable them to contribute to national development.

She said the church also unveiled their policy on education, which emphasised the acquisition of useful skills and habits that would equip the youth to cooperate with others in the common task and respect for human beings and nature.

"You students are therefore reminded that in acquiring the skills, we expect that you will also acquire habits that make you better equipped to provide services for, and live with your neighbours in peace in your communities," Prof Addy said.

She cautioned the graduates against over aggressiveness in the pursuit for money, saying, "this can lead you into huge loses of your prospective customers".

Prof Addy urged the Teshie community to regard the school as a community venture and contribute to its development.

Mrs Vincential Stella Tordzro, Principal of the School said, out of the 199 students, who took the 2003/2004 external examinations, only one student failed, as against 12 failures in the previous years. She also stated that a critical analysis that revealed poor performances in English language had resulted in the employment of an English instructor, who would solely teach the subject to enhance teaching and learning.

Mrs Tordzro said performances of students had further improved due to the industrial practical attachment programme, which enables them to have a practical experience of their working skills and further expose them to the usage of various industrial machines. He stated that through the relentless effort of both management and staff, the school had been made a centre for offering the City and Guilds Intermediate Examination of the Ghana Education Service's Technical Examination Unit.

Mrs Tordzro said the school for the first time had registered 31 students for four different courses with an additional eight secretarial students for the November/December Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination this year.

Dr Gladys Norley Ashitey, Deputy Minister of Health called on parents in the community to send their children to school instead of engaging them in economic activities.

She said government was committed to ensuring that every child received at least basic education and had therefore introduced the Free Compulsory Basic Education (FCUBE) programme.

Dr Ashitey said, "I encourage you parents to make good use of this opportunity to train your children to enable them contribute to national development."

She advised the youth against indiscipline and said HIV/AIDS was spreading so rapidly that at least 80 people die each day in Ghana as a result of the disease.