Parents advised not to postpone the education of their children

Cape Coast, March 13, GNA - The Managing Director of Ecobank Limited, Mr Albert Kobina Essien, has advised parents not to postpone the education of their children.

Mr Essien who was speaking at the 64th Speech and Prize-giving Day of the Aggrey Memorial A. M. E. Zion Secondary School in Cape Coast on Saturday said such postponement could have devastating socio-economic effects on the country's development.

Speaking on the topic: "Holistic Education for the Youth - Essential Component for Nation Building" Mr Essien, an old boy of the school, said the country could not achieve maximum development without total education of the youth in science and technology.

"It is therefore incumbent on parents, guardians, the government and indeed the entire Ghanaian society to ensure that the youth who are the window of hope for the country's future are equipped with the requisite knowledge, skills, and above all, the right attitude for effective and sustainable nation building," he stressed.

Mr Kwesi Appiah-Danquah, Headmaster, in his annual report, announced that the Government had initiated measures to rehabilitate the school's water supply system to solve the perennial water problem it was facing.

Mr Appiah-Danquah said the school has total a population of 2,982 students out of which 1,699 were girls, adding, "This shows the management's commitment to the promotion of Girl-Child education in the country.

He announced that the school had purchased and installed a number of modern communication equipment including, C-band V-Sat, which had connected the school direct via satellite to AT&T in the United States of America.

Mr Appiah-Danquah enumerated academic and other achievements the school chalked last year and commended the Parent Teacher Association, the Board of Governors, teachers and administrators of the institution for their contributions towards the attainment of these feats.

He also extended the management's profound appreciation to the old students, individuals and organizations that contributed in diverse ways to supplement the efforts of the school and expressed the hope that they would maintain their support for "a noble cause."

The School Prefect in a report appealed to the administration to device a more conducive method of collecting school fees, and not to wait until examination periods before asking students to go home and bring their fees, adding that such action affected the academic performance of students.

The Senior Bishop's Deputy of the A. M. E. Zion Church, who is also the Chairman of the School's Board of Governors, charged the students to maintain a high degree of discipline and self-control to enable them to become reliable, honest and God-fearing citizens.

Dr Jimmy Heyman, an Accra-based medical practitioner, who chaired the function, advised the students to abstain from sex since that was the best way of avoiding the deadly disease, AIDS.

He also charged them to cultivate the right attitudes and behaviours that would make them responsible and dependable adults capable of handling their own affairs in future.

Dr Heyman cautioned Ghanaians against the use of uncertified herbal preparations, saying that such practice could endanger their health. He said while the state encouraged the use of herbal and plant medicines care must be taken when using them because herbal medicines could also have their side effects.

Nana Akomeah, Minister of Information and an old student of the school, was the guest of honour.