Regional News of Saturday, 19 April 2008

Source: GNA

Strengthen the monitoring of religious groups activities in schools -

Director

Kumasi, April 19, GNA -An association of chaplains in Senior High Schools (SHS) and Colleges was at the weekend formed in Kumasi with a call on them to strengthen the monitoring and supervision of activities of religious groupings on campuses.

Mrs. Belinda Serwaa Addo, the Ashanti Regional Director of Education, who made the call, said this would close the gap between the chaplains and the students to promote healthy relations. She was speaking at the maiden meeting of the association held at the Anglican Senior High School in Kumasi.

Initiated by the Regional Education Directorate, the association aims at fostering unity and creating platform for chaplains in SHS and training colleges to share experiences and ideas on issues pertaining to their various institutions.

It also aims at strengthening students discipline and moral values to curb the increasing hooliganism, indiscipline and other vices on campuses.

Mrs. Addo noted that the spiritual upliftment and the inculcation of moral values of the youth should be a paramount concern of all meaningful Ghanaians to promote peaceful society. She therefore advocated for regular praying sessions and counselling for students to enable them to make informed choices and lead decent lives.

Mr. Joseph Kwabena Onyinah, the Kumasi Metropolitan Director of Education was confident that the activities of the association would adequately prepare and nurture the students to enter the universities and other tertiary institutions.

This, he noted, would reduce the increasing reported cases of social vices and indiscipline among the students. The Reverend Father Oscar C. Amoah, Chaplain of the Anglican SHS, who is the interim chairman, lauded the vision of the education directorate and stated that the association would contribute immensely to strengthen the spiritual and moral development of the youth.