Four first year students at the Serwaa Kesse Senior High School at Duayaw-Nkwanta in Tano North District of Brong-Ahafo Region have obtained scholarships to further their education to the tertiary level.
Eunice Obeng Fosuah, Sandra Dufie, Abubakari Jamila and Issah Lutfata won the heart of the Members of Parliament (MPs) for Manhyia North and Tano North constituencies, Mr Collins Owusu Amankwaah and Ms Freda Prempeh respectively, when they debated on the topic: “Youth Migration is a Curse in Society” at a youth forum at Duayaw-Nkwanta on Friday.
The performance of the students at the forum to mark the 2013 celebration of the International Youth Day, held on August 12, every year, moved the two MPs to promise to provide the students their educational needs to the tertiary level.
The debate initiated by Ms Prempeh, was attended by students from the Bomaa Senior High, Boakye Tromo Senior High and Technical, as well as Serwaa Kesse Senior High Schools.
Ms Prempeh noted that youth unemployment was increasing and many of them did not have the skills to compete in the job market due to unavailability of job and hash economic reality facing the country.
“Consequently, many young people prefer to travel outside the country to seek greener pastures, with Brong-Ahafo having many of its youth working in other countries,” she said.
Ms Prempeh emphasized that the best option to halt youth migration was to give them quality education and appropriate skills, which would enable them to work and enjoy life, and that was why the New Patriotic Party (NPP) placed premium on free but quality Senior High School education.
“The NPP youth agenda will focus on breaking into new frontiers of job, with higher level skills that gives young people a wide range of exportable services and skills to enable the youth to have easier access to employment and be self employed,” she explained.
Ms Prempeh said since the young people were not only leaders of tomorrow but also partners of today, their involvement in accelerated national development could not be overemphasized.
She advised the students to avoid unhealthy lifestyles, respect and obey school rules and regulations.
Mr Amankwaah emphasized that education was the best alternative for the youth to live a successful life and acquire wealth and entreated the students to learn at all times.
He asked the students to always think and meditate on the huge expenses being made by their parents to offer them quality education.
He pledged to support any student in the area, who excelled in the West African Senior High School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), to pursue high academic laurels.
Nana Sewia Brempong, Krontihene of Duayaw-Nkwanta Traditional Area thanked the MPs for the scholarship package and hoped that more brilliant but needy students in the area would also be given such financial support.
