Telenovelas affecting Ghana’s drive to quality education – Dr. Archibald Letsa

Volta Regional Minister, Dr. Archibald Letsa has expressed worry over the rate at which school children spend time watching telenovelas to the neglect of their school and home duties, saying it can affect their performance.

In an address at the inauguration of an 11 unit classroom block and the 5th anniversary celebration of Pencils of Promise in Peki in the Volta Region, Dr. Letsa expressed fear that the situation will become a major threat to Ghana’s drive to ensure quality standard of education, as well as the free SHS policy.

One may think the proliferation of telenovelas on our airwaves is impacting only on pupils in the cities due to easy accessibility of TV sets and these foreign programmes. But this is not the case as some rural communities are having their fair share of the problem.

Peki Dzogbati, a predominant farming community in the South Dayi District of the Volta Region is one of such areas where children are said to be addicted to the numerous telenovelas on our TV screens.

According to some teachers of the Peki E.P basic school, pupils have taken to the viewing of these telenovelas, which they constantly discuss during school hours.

This, the Volta Regional Minister, Dr. Archibald Letsa fears would make it difficult for government to raise the already falling standard of education.

He indicated that the situation, if not reversed, will affect the human resource capital of the country years to come despite the huge investments in the education sector.

Meanwhile, the MP for South Dayi, Rockson Dafeamekpor has implored the National Media Commission to come in to salvage the situation as it is psychologically affecting the children’s development.

Interestingly, some parents believe these television soap operas would enlighten their children to foreign culture.