Religious missions must have more say in moral development - Bishop

Kwasibourkrom (B/A) June 13, GNA - The Most Reverend Dr Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, Catholic Bishop of Sunyani on Wednesday appealed for religious missions to be allowed to play a greater role in the moral training of the youth.

He commended the government for recognizing and appreciating the contributions of religious bodies in the promotion of education but stressed that for the youth to merely acquire skills and knowledge should not only be the mission's message.

"Missions must be allowed to have more say in the moral development and training of our youth, our students to grow up to become responsible citizens", the Bishop said.

Bishop Gyamfi was speaking at the official presentation of a 58-seater school bus worth 475 million cedis to Our Lady of Providence Secondary School at Kwasibourkrom in Brong Ahafo by Mr. Fosuaba Banahene, Administrator of the GETFund.

He lauded the unique co-operation between politicians and religious bodies in the region, which, he said, had culminated in the effective development of education, with the springing up of more schools and the provision of other social services for the benefit of the people. The Bishop expressed the hope that such co-operation would continue to exist and advised the students to be serious with their studies and not to relent in efforts towards achieving academic goals.

Nana Kwadwo Seinti, Regional Minister, urged parents in the area to help the school to develop by patronizing it.

He expressed the hope that the school authorities would ensure that the bus was judiciously used for the maximum benefit of the students.

The Regional Minister advised the students to take their studies seriously in order to achieve their academic goals.

Ms Anna Nyamekye, MP for Jaman and Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture advised the students to make good use of their time in the school and commended the school authorities for the high level of discipline at the institution.

She asked them not to be deterred by the limited resources in the school but to strive to make maximum use of them to achieve high academic laurels.

Sister Rosy Kolattukudy, Headmistress, said the school was established on the realization in 1989 that since women played a key role in the development of the family they needed to be educated. She stressed that that was the guiding principle for the establishment of the institution, which was started with 40 girls. There are 251 girls now. The headmistress appealed for the assistance in the construction of a dormitory, computer laboratory and a library. Mr. Banahene gave assurance that the school was among a number in the country to benefit from a massive infrastructural development. 13 June 04