Facilitators and students in a group photograph at the end of the programme
Parents, teachers, and policymakers have been urged to prioritise the development of the boy child to help build stronger families and peaceful communities for sustainable national development.
Speaking at an event to mark the celebration of the International Day for the Boy Child in Accra, Vice-Chancellor of Pentecost University, Apostle Prof. Kobena Agyapong-Kodua said that neglecting boys in conversations about education, leadership, and moral formation could have serious consequences for society.
International Day of the Boy Child is celebrated on May 16 each year. The day recognises the importance of boys’ well-being and the challenges they face, while also celebrating the positive aspects they bring to their communities and families.
Apostle Prof. Kodua, who described the boy child as a future leader whose development shapes the destiny of the nation, said boys who are properly nurtured flourish for families to thrive.
He said, “The boy child is a future father, husband, teacher, minister, president, scientist, engineer, doctor, farmer, and leader. If we deny them opportunities, we are denying ourselves our future.”
He further warned against the implications of social media addiction, and challenged schools to shift young people from merely consuming technology to developing innovative digital tools, while calling on parents to spend quality time with their sons, involve them in family responsibilities, and intentionally build their skills
“Let us become living examples to these young men because if we do, we will be building them up for a brighter future,” he stated.
National Coordinator of the Schools Outreach Ministry of the Church of Pentecost, Pastor Frank Tandoh, for his part, noted that although significant efforts have been made to empower the girl child, growing concerns remained about the declining educational outcomes of boys.
He said though society support the empowerment of the girl child, people must also address the imbalance affecting boys, given how many boys are dropping out of school in recent times.
“If we neglect the welfare of the boy child, society will become tilted and unable to function at its optimum level,” he pointed out.
Director for Girls Education at the Ghana Education Service, Madam Gifty Asiedu, said emerging global evidence indicates that boys in many countries are increasingly vulnerable to school disengagement, poor literacy outcomes, suspensions, and lower participation in higher education.
She noted that the Ghana Education Service was adopting inclusive approaches that support all vulnerable learners rather than creating competing narratives between boys and girls.
“Educational vulnerability is evolving, and it affects boys and girls differently depending on context, poverty levels, and family circumstances,” she stressed.
“Our focus is to build an education system that identifies and supports every vulnerable learner,” she added.
The International Day for the Boy Child was held under the theme “Flousrish and Thrive: Investing and Unleashing Boys for Strong Families and Communities.”
By Ebenezer K. Amponsah