Bright Appiah, Executive Director, CRI
CHILD RIGHTS International (CRI) has called for an enhanced programme in the education sector that will prepare the youth adequately for future development.
In a statement, the organisation said what transpired in the just-ended National Science & Maths Quiz (NSMQ) is an indication that with more commitment towards the development of the youth, the country would see a better future.
Signed by Bright Appiah, Executive Director of CRI, the statement commended all the 2020 NSMQ finalists, particularly PRESEC Legon, for emerging as the overall winners for this year’s edition.
The organisation also applauded the organisers of the programme for their consistency in ensuring that programmes like NMSQ remained one of the best educational competitions in the country.
“As an organisation, we are proud that NSMQ has been sustained and attracted more sponsorship to boost the morale of schools which take part in it,” it said.
It continued that one of the ways to shaping the careers of the younger generation and empowering them to become productive “is allowing them to stick to their areas of interest instead of swaying them into different fields that have nothing to do with their interests.”
Using the NSMQ as a case study, CRI said the performance exhibited by the participants, especially the finalists, proved that when they are given the chance to specialise in the areas of interest, “the younger generation can do exploits.”
“The manner and way the students organised themselves and exhibited knowledge in the subjects they were tested in was evidence that young people ought to be given the chance to develop their potentials or interest,” CRI said.
It added that in developed economies, children are made to identify their talents and supported with resources and proper mentorship so that they can grow to become geniuses in their chosen fields.
“In our part of the continent, parents and some educational institutions coerce the youth out of their potentials  and make them take up courses that do have nothing to do with their potentials or interests.”
Citing Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, as an example, it said the potentials of children ought to be spotted early and developed.
He stressed that if a child wants to become an accountant, the state and their parents should support them with resources and guidance.
“Home Economics students must be allowed to do Home Economics, while Science students should be allowed to do same. Let’s build on their interest and potentials more than anything else,” CRI highlighted.