The Knights of St. John International and Ladies’ Auxiliary, in a statement issued on March 17, 2025, have called for collaboration between the government and the Church to address the “general behaviour of the youth of this day; their Indecent mode of dressing and talking, lack of respect for the elderly and authority, poor sense of service and general manners.”
The statement, signed by Maj. Gen. William Edmund Okang Adjei, Supreme Subordinate Commandery President and Noble Sister Victoria Anyan, Supreme Subordinate Ladies’ Auxiliary President, acknowledged that the responsibility for these issues does not only lie in the hands of teachers and the school but also involves the church and all stakeholders.
“The blame for these acts of misdemeanour keeps shifting from parents to school teachers, the church, and/or the general public. Whatever the cause, one thing is true that the blame lies on us all. There is therefore, the need for collaboration and partnership between the various actors in our education delivery to address this phenomenon, particularly between Government and Churches”, they said.
In the statement, they also highlighted the key roles in which the church has played in contributing to the success of the education sector in Ghana.
They added, “The Catholic Church in Ghana establishes Schools as privileged places to foster the formation of the whole person, to be conscious of their dignity and the needs of others, as well as competently fulfil their responsibilities towards society with integrity.”
Following the Second National Catholic Education Forum held at St. Bakhita Catholic Church in Koforidua from March 10 to 15, 2025, the Knights of St. John International and their Ladies’ Auxiliary have reiterated the need for collaboration between the Government and Churches in managing mission schools.
The discussions during the forum also centred on challenges surrounding the Free Senior High School policy and the need for improved Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
During the educational forum, stakeholders proposed a revised Memorandum of Understanding to formalize the partnership between the government and churches, alongside recommendations for a five-year strategic plan for Catholic education, enhanced faith formation, and better management of mission schools.
The Knights of St. John International and their Ladies’ Auxiliary expressed their full support for the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference’s mission in advocating for a more resilient and inclusive educational structure in the country.
Additionally, they reiterated the recommendations made to the government and stakeholders during the forum in order to strengthen the educational system of the country.
In the statement, they said that, “The Government should ensure a more transparent, fair and acceptable system of placement into Catholic second cycle schools to deal with the inadequacies of the current CSSPS”.
It also added that, “Faith formation should be intensified from home through pre-school to the tertiary level. Additionally, we should train, equip and resource Catholic personnel with adequate sound catholic moral and social doctrine to enable them to manage and teach our schools for the realization of the Church’s mission and vision for education.”
By: Veronica Sena Amenya//Newswatchgh.com
