The Atwima Nwabiagya Municipal Director of Education, Juliana Essel Cudjoe has advised free SHS students in the country to be guarded against excessive use of rioting, demonstrations and attacks in addressing their grievances even when they face some challenges. She said one of the best ways to help sustain the free SHS policy in dignity is when students stop these attacks.

According to her, the rate at which section of schools resort to indiscipline behavioural approach, for example, not abiding to school rules and regulations are adversely killing the SHS policy. She said the worst scenario is when students start destroying school properties at the expense of the state's wellbeing.

Juliana Cudjoe gave the advice during a send-off farewell ceremony organised for Francis P. Yata, the outgoing headmaster for Nkawie Senior High Technical School (NSHTS) in the Ashanti Region.

Describing as very unfortunate and disturbing, the headmistress bemoaned how most students are fond of attacking each other, schools attacking schools by destroying each others' vehicles, inflicting machete wounds on colleagues as some even go to the extent of fighting their headmasters and mistresses. She said all these acts is eating into the fabric of free SHS thus, making the running of the policy costly if it remains uncheck in the country especially in Kumasi.

Counting on such incidents, she pointed out recent Kumasi Technical School (KTI) where 700 students have been sacked from the school due to their indiscipline output in the school.

Commenting on the use of addictive drugs, the director was of the firm belief that these drug abuse were contributing factors in the country.

She noted that some students consume marijuana, hard liquor, cigarette and among others to misbehave hardly on the core of intentionally consuming them to simply destroy themselves and properties belonging to the state.

She advised students to concentrate on their books since "education was key to a successful life".

She also appealed to parents and guardians to instill in their wards Christian disciplines in the home to ensure their successful up-bringing for the benefit of them and the society at large.

For his part, Francis Yata was grateful to God and also thanked the school's authorities for the honour done upon him. Sharing his experience, the statesman disclosed that though the journey was a mixture of both smoothness and roughness, he had ended it in peace.

He however took the opportunity to advise the youth not to rush in the life's journey but work with determination, perseverance and truthfulness.

According to him, though he was retiring as a headmaster, his willingness to support the nation's wellbeing was a sure bet.

Brief profile of Francis Yata;

Francis Yata was born on 26 May, 1963 at Sawaba near Yeji in the Pru District, Bono East Region where he started school at Sawaba L/A Primary School.

He continued his secondary education at Modern Institute of Technology in Kumasi

He further moved to Kumasi Polytechnic to read Electrical Engineering Technician part II leading to City and Guilds of London.

He was later appointed the substantive Headmaster at Kwamang Presby Senior High School. After serving, he was transferred to Nkenkensu Senior High Technical School.

In February 2019 he became the headmaster for Nkawie Senior High Technical School (NSHTS). In all, Francis Yata worked in the Ghana Education Service for 32 years. Currently, he is the director of ACE Professional School of Technology in Kumasi.