Friday, October 27, 2006

Rev. Frank Dei, who made the disclosure said the consumption of alcohol and
drugs was threatening not only the health and education of the youth, but
also their productivity. The Rev, Minister's observations are borne out on a
regular basis by reports of students and young people engaging in binge
drinking. Just last week, eighteen final-year pupils of Adankwame Basic
School who were allegedly found drunk and engaged in gambling on the school
premises were suspended by the school authorities. They included six girls,
who also reportedly stole large quantity of bread from a nearby grocery in
the company of 12 boys who also engaged in gambling. Mr. John Yidanbla
Tayari, Headteacher of the school told a meeting arranged by the
Atwima-Nwabiagya District Education directorate aimed at finding solutions
to the reported acts of indiscipline at Adankwame. The meeting was attended
by the local School Management Committee (SMC), Parent-Teacher Association
(PTA), unit committee members, chiefs, teachers and other opinion leaders.
Although the culprits' parents had been invited to the meeting, they did not
show up. Mr. Richard Owusu-Agyemang, the District's Community Participation
Co-ordinator, condemned the acts of the pupils and the refusal of their
parents to attend the meeting. He said it was the responsibility of parents
to inculcate moral values and discipline in their children and that the
boycott of the meeting by the parents was not only a mark of disrespect to
the school authorities but also an endorsement of the pupils' indiscipline
acts. He warned that the directorate will not tolerate indiscipline in the
School and urged the chiefs, SMCs and PTAs to help in addressing the
situation.