SDA Education Council’s YODEP Forum on Youth held in Toronto

The Education Council of the Ghanaian Seventh-day Adventist Churches in Toronto believes that, ‘for far too long, we have been dormant while our young people continue to descend into a perpetual spiral of criminal behaviour and gang involvement. An increasing number of Ghanaian youth is “falling through the cracks”.

And that, ‘we as a community can no longer afford to remain idle while such an inordinate number of our young men are either languishing in prisons or dying by the gun. It is time for us, in a collective effort, to actively engage our young people in a seminal discourse in hopes of quelling this horrible trend that is plaguing our community’.

It was in light of this problem, that the Council through YODEP (Youth Development & Empowerment Project) organized a community-wide forum on how we could use education as a tool for preventing youth and gang violence. The program, which was sponsored by the African Canadian Christian Network (ACCN) was held on March 22, 2009 at 285 Attwell Drive in Toronto.

The forum comprised a cross section of distinguished panel members from the community. They included Professor George Dei (an Educator/Community Leader), Mr. Devon Jones (Teacher/Community Worker), Ms. Elizabeth Acheampong (Parent), Mr. Raymond Dei (Youth) and, Pastor Damson Oppong (Religious Leader). It was stressed during the forum that parents ought to be involved with their children’s education more than before! “Education of the child cannot be left to the school alone. Parents must play a part; the Church has a role to play here and; the Community must foster the right environment for the child to be able to learn”, the Panellists unanimously agreed.

The issue of ACCESS in selection of students to study courses like Law and Medicine in Ontario came up and the educators on the panel shared informed opinion about it. Participants were assured that ACCESS in itself is not discriminatory. It has always helped the mainstream Canadian students to study at higher institutions of learning and that minority Canadians should not feel bad about using the same opportunity to gain admission into the universities. The panel also spoke passionately about the need for Black students developing self-esteem and confidence to be able to confront discrimination and overcome obstacles on their way to academic, social as well as economic successes or achievements.

When the cause for Black-Focus School to be opened in Toronto next school year came up as a means to helping Black students to succeed in school, some of the participants questioned the rationale behind it. The educators on the panel, Professor Dei and Mr. Jones took time to patiently explain the need for such school now. It simply came down to the fact that the Euro-centric schools continue to fail to cater for the special needs of most Black students in our schools. Prof. Dei then went on to draw this analogy: “if there are two trains and they all promised to take you to Montreal and one has always failed to take you there. Why not try the other train too.” His advice to those who oppose the idea of the Black Focus School was that they should give the school, which is being established by Toronto District School Board a chance. The moderators for the forum were Ms. Ambra Yerinkyi and Ida Dei

Let’s come together to champion this cause for our youth-“Catching them Young!”