Stop blame game on education- Dr Lawrence Tetteh

Dr Lawrence Tetteh, a UK-based Ghanaian International Evangelist has cautioned the citizenry not to limit the current debate on education by finding scapegoats.

“Some criticisms maybe directed at politicians whilst others may refer to the adhoc experiments with the school curriculum and cost involved in education.

“It is never an ending debate,” he noted and asked politicians and other stakeholders in education to end the blame game and look at the issues dispassionately to make headway in ensuring good quality education.

Dr Tetteh gave the warning when he addressed a speech and prize-giving day at Odorgono Senior High School, in Accra at the weekend, on the theme: “Discipline the key to quality education.”

He said education is a collective responsibility that calls for the support of government, policy makers, parents, teachers, educationists and civil society.

He charged teachers to identify the cognitive development of the learner as a major explicit objective of the educational system and to promote values and attributes, which portray discipline and responsible citizenship in nurturing creativity and emotional development in students.

The international evangelist asked the students to shun unsociable vices such as smoking cigarettes, marijuana, sniffing cocaine, drinking alcohol, breaking school rules and disrespecting teachers and other adults in authority, which “is fast becoming the trend”.

Dr Tetteh asked Ghanaians to strive to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, which comprise eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education, promoting gender equality and empowering women by 2015.

The rest are reducing child mortality rates, improving maternal health, combating HIV and AIDS, malaria and other diseases, ensuring environmental sustainability and developing a global partnership for development.

“Since Ghana is a signatory to these goals, we can only achieve them by adopting a massive united front as a people and a nation to harness all our resources and embark on a crusade of discipline and good quality education,” he said.