The District Chief Executive (DCE) of the Kwahu Afram Plains South District in Ghana’s Eastern Region has educated the parents of St. Joseph School, Maame Krobo in the Apostolic Vicariate of Donkorkrom on their responsibilities in modern day education during the graduation and Career Day celebrations of the School on July 30.
In a speech, the District Chief Executive of the Afram Plains South District, Mr. Evans Kyei Ntiri, charged parents to prioritize the education of their children, especially in this present age, saying that ‘‘Education is the birth rock of every nation’’.
Reading the speech on behalf of the DCE, Mr. Emmanuel Asenso, a PTA Executive of the school, wondered how effective teaching and learning could take place if parents do not invest in their children’s education in terms of acquiring the needful, such as textbooks for their wards and urged them to endeavour to meet the standards of this modern-day education.
“Let us all as parents commit to spending on the children’s education without any cause to worry,” he entreated.
The DCE representative further admonished parents to keep abreast of the signs of time, and get their children to acquire skills in Information Communication Technology (ICT) in this digital age.
“In this era, we shouldn’t leave any child behind, our cherished children,” he remarked, saying, “Our parents are entreated to make it a requirement to train these children with the skills on ICT as it is part of this modern education.”
He advised: “In doing so, we are to guide these children to know how to use especially the phones that are given to them to play with in the house,” adding that parents should rather diversify the use of the phone by the children to the advantage of studying ICT.
He opined that 21st century education touches on the need to ensure the social and emotional learning of the child, stressing that ‘‘A child cannot learn on an empty stomach’’, neither can a child learn when he / she is sad, insisting that parents ensure that the children’s emotional needs are also attended to.
The DCE’s spokesman in a bit to encourage parents to educate their children irrespective of their gender, drew their attention to the fact that gender balance is very key in this 21st century education.
‘‘Gender issues are prevalent in this era of educational dispensation,’’ he remarked. ‘‘Statistics show that today, a lot of girls are enrolled in our various levels of education even more than boys. It tells you that girls are also striving to get to the top,’’ he proudly observed.
The DCE, a fellow parent, through the voice of Mr. Asenso entreated parents to take up their roles and prepare the children for a better tomorrow.
“I am one of you, so I wouldn’t stand here to shield anyone that we should neglect our responsibility. We should play our part as parents in sponsoring our children to become better people in the future’’ he admonished.
In a welcome address, Rev. Fr. Saviour Seddo Darkey, the School Administrator, said the ceremony was “to appreciate the hard work of the graduands, inspire our children on their career dreams, award some of them who exceled in some subjects and other fields, remind parents about their role towards their children’s education, as well acknowledge the efforts of our founder Rev. Fr. Stephen Kofi Sakpaku and his team’’.
Fr. Darkey encouraged parents to assist their children with their homework and ensure that it is done well, and should waste no time in coming to check from the school if they realise that their child persistently comes home with no home work.
He stressed that ‘”Homework is extremely important as part of the academic work in the school. It is a means of ensuring that pupils get enough practice time, strengthen academic skills and develop the habit of self-study.”
He added that homework helps children to be self-dependent.
Various activities featured during the Graduation and Career Day celebrations included march pass by the pupils from the present school site across the market squares to the new site, aimed at creating awareness to the community about the event of the day.
Other activities included the official opening of the new site by Rev. Fr. Peter Dadzie, Assistant Priest of St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church, Maame Krobo, some electrifying presentations by the pupils on different careers such as Law, Teaching, Medicine / Nursing, just to name a few.
There was also the award of Certificates to the KG 2 Pupils that were graduating to Primary One and prize award to deserving pupils, Cultural dances, as well as Fundraising, to continue with the School Project, and get the place ready to accommodate the children come September this year, 2024.
The Graduation and Career Day celebration was chaired by Nana Nyakum Panin, the Chief of Maame Krobo, who thanked the school management, teachers and PTA executive for organising such a ‘glamorous occasion’ and urged the school management to liaise more with the parents, to ensure the educational welfare of their children.
Dignitaries present at the Career Day and Graduation ceremony were Nana Nyakum Panin, the Chief of Maame Krobo, accompanied by the Market Queen fondly called ‘American Lady’, and Mmerantie hene, Mr. Joseph Naadow, Chief of the Youths of Maame Krobo. Others were Sr. Victoria Tiernye, Missionary Sisters of the Holy Spirit, from Kwesi Fante, Rev. Ajyie Danso, Pastor of the Methodist Church, Maame Krobo, as well as Parents and Guardians.
By Sr. Sylvie Lum Cho, MSHR (DEPSOCOM, Apostolic Vicariate of Donkorkrom)
