Ghanaians must be well educated on the constitution

Techiman (B/A), Oct 25, GNA- Ghana needs a well-informed citizenry, capable of thinking critically and participating intelligently in national affairs to sustain the country's young democracy, Mr. Pierre Ankamah, Techiman District Director of National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), has said.

He said the sustenance of democratic culture and institutions largely depended on the citizens' knowledge in the basic principles of constitutional governance.

The NCCE Director expressed concern about the fact that "most students of our first, second and tertiary educational institutions seem to be ignorant about institutions, principles and processes of governance".

Mr. Ankamah was addressing the opening of a constitution game contest organized by the district office of the Commission for second-cycle schools at Techiman on Friday.

He made a passionate appeal to the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development to formally enjoin metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies to assist the NCCE with part of their share of the common fund for the effective organization of civic and public education programmes.

Mr. Peter Kwabena Gyasi, Education Officer in-charge of Programmes of the Commission said the constitution game had not only been introduced to students but also to workers of some government organisations.

Five out of the six Senior Secondary Schools in the district took part in the competition, which was won by Techiman Secondary School, followed by Techiman Adventist Secondary/Technical School and Buoyem Secondary School in that order.

All the schools that contested received wall clocks embossed with the NCCE logo, copies of the new abridged 1992 constitution and other literature on civic education.

Mr. Emmanuel Num, Deputy District Coordinating director of the Techiman district assembly, who presided, noted that the constitution game was an important innovation that could help students to study the constitution.

He urged students in first cycle to the tertiary level institutions to embrace the game.