President Akufo-Addo, Otumfuo and other dignitaries at the event
PRESIDENT Nana Akufo-Addo has urged headmasters of public schools to ensure teachers are punctual to help boost academic work.
Likewise, the President has entreated headmasters to see to it that students do not miss classes to disparage government’s investment in education.
“Headmasters must check absenteeism of both teachers and students in their schools and also develop innovative strategies to monitor activities of their various schools.
“As the government plays its part by providing key logistics and infrastructure, I will urge headmasters of schools to supervise teaching and learning in their various schools,” he stated.
President Akufo-Addo was speaking during the 70th anniversary celebration of Opoku Oware School (OWASS) in Kumasi, which was graced by several dignitaries, including the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.
The anniversary was on the theme: “Seven Decades of Leadership through Self-Discipline.”
According to President Akufo-Addo, teachers should know that they are role models for students and, therefore, project excellence in whatever they do for their students to emulate.
He also urged parents and guardians to advice their wards to exhibit good behaviour, stressing that the upbringing of children should be the collective responsibility of all.
“All of us, teachers and parents, have a role to play to help produce dedicated and disciplined students to enable them to become hard working and patriotic citizens in future,” he stressed.
The President emphasised the importance of quality education in nation building, and stressed that “no Ghanaian child should be deprived quality education.”
School, he said, is the avenue for children to make lifelong friends and learn to better their lives, noting that “It’s a place to make friends and learn new things for the future.”
Nana Akufo-Addo stated that the country could only progress from its current state of developing to a developed country only if education is given attention.
He said the decision of his government to introduce the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy, was mainly to make sure that the country’s human resource was developed.
“Six years on, following the implementation of the Free SHS policy, it has guaranteed a minimum of 1.3 million Ghanaian children, the highest of such enrolment in our history,” he added.
According to him, government has realised the importance of the Free SHS policy despite the current challenges.
“Yes, there have been challenges associated with the policy which the government is addressing. Substantially, many of them and there will be more, in the course of time, such is the nature of social evolution to the stage the challenges will be met,” he said.
The President was also confident that the 2023 budget would help address the economic challenges in the country, calling for total support from all and sundry.
Justice Steven Alan Brobbey, Chairman for the event, who is an old student and former Supreme Court judge, admonished the students to be self-disciplined and learn harder than ever.
The Headmaster of OWASS, Rev. Fr Stephen Owusu Sekyere, lauded the old students (Akatakyie) of OWASS for sacrificing their resources to transform the school.
FROM I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi