Weak disciple affecting schools-Nsowah

Accra, Jan. 27, GNA- Growing weak discipline in Ghanaian schools has been identified as a major cause of loss of valuable instruction time in schools, Mr Michael Nsowah, immediate past Director-General of the Ghana Educational Service (GES) on Saturday observed. He said recent study by an international donor agency on 25 senior secondary schools has confirmed the assertions, adding that actual contact hours were only about 65 per cent of the instruction time. Mr Nsowah was speaking at 79th Annual Speech and Prize-Giving Day of the Achimota Secondary School, on the occasion of the school's 80th birthday.

He said with only three years of senior secondary school education, it was obvious that time lost for organized instruction could affect the progress of students.

Mr Nsowah said indiscipline has become a canker in educational institutions and it was even becoming widespread in strong traditional areas where such misbehaviour was previously unknown. He said "Unfortunately, many students have became architects of unimaginable social vices such as armed robbery, drug trafficking and drug abuse."

Mr Nsowah observed that drug abuse was the underlying causes of many of the crimes that threatened life and property in schools. He said the youth needed to understand that a highly respected school was one that combined academic excellence with moral integrity. "Sound moral upbringing of students, helps them individually to develop an exemplary character worthy of emulation and a clear sense of identity, integrity and what they believe to be excellent virtues in life, Mr Nsowah said.

He said discipline and hard work were essential tools that students could not overlook.

Mr Nsowah, however, noted that unfortunately sometimes, the misbehaviour of teachers such as absenteeism, alcoholism, improper dressing and other unprofessional conduct sent the wrong signals for the students.

Mr Michael Wilson, a Swiss-based business consultant and former student of the school, said he was dispirited because Achimota was no longer seen to be creating a culture in which great leaders could emerge.

He said "Something in our spirit has left us, something in our values has been surrendered, something in our standards has abandoned us almost to the soft bigotry of low expectation.

We do not seem to produce solemnly respectable young men and women of pleasing manners, conservative in social life, in fact gentlemen and ladies to the last degree".

Mr Wilson said that all was not lost and called on the school authorities and past students of the school to consider the occasion of Ghana's 50th anniversary as an opportunity to make Achimota shine once again, and even brighter.

He urged the students to be courageous, perseverant, self-knowledgeable and visionary, just and above all to become future good leaders of the country.

Giving an overview of the school activities for the year 2005/2006, Mrs Flora Ivy Mensah, Acting Headmistress of Achimota, said the period saw a significant improvement in the performance of students in the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations.

She said with 100 per cent passes, 320 students out of a total of 485 candidates had grades A and B in core Mathematics, 400 had grades A and B in Integrated Science whilst 401 had grades A and B in Social Studies.

Mrs Mensah said with the advent of private universities in the country, many students felt that it was no longer necessary to compete for limited vacancies in public universities.

She, therefore, called on the GES to endorse repetition for students would not deserve to be promoted to the next class. Prizes and various categories of awards were given to students who excelled in various subjects to teachers and other past staff of the school for their meritorious service.