Religious, Moral Education Is Important - Prof Ellis

The Vice-Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Professor William Otoo Ellis, has called on educational institutions to place much emphasis on Religious and Moral education to help inculcate a high sense of morality in the youth.

The statement was contained in a speech read on his behalf at the 38th anniversary and third speech and prize -giving day of Juaben Senior High School at Asante-Juaben.

He stressed that any form of education that did not lead people to get closer to God, who is the Supreme Being, was not the best, stressing that since the Good book says, “The Fear of God is the beginning of wisdom,” those who wanted to be wise must fear God.

Speaking on the theme ”Religious and Moral Education, A Tool for Holistic Education, The Role of Stakeholders” Professor Ellis said parents and teachers must be proud when students scored grade ONE (1) or ‘A’ in the religious and moral education examination, and other subjects, stressing that students who acquired good character and also did well in their examination, should be held in high esteem.

He said some of the youth tended to be confused because of the information they usually received from various sources and challenged stakeholders in the educational sector to provide the youth with holistic education to lead them to care for each other, show genuine love and not lust, respect for authority, be courteous and time conscious and stick to doing what was right when confronted with challenges.

Professor Ellis noted that schools, apart from teaching the syllabus had opportunities to help develop the spiritual and moral lives of the youth through the morning assembly.

Giving a brief history of the school, the Headmaster of the school, Very Rev. Isaac Osei-Boadi said the school started as the Juaben Methodist Girls’ Boarding and Day school in 1950 with 18 students and was changed to the Juaben Methodist Women’s Training College with 27 students and two tutors, after 12 years.

Very Rev. Osei-Boadi said the training college also existed for 10 years and later became a mixed secondary school with the name Juaben

Secondary School with 87 students.

He paid glowing tribute to the then Omanhene of Juaben Traditional Area, Nana Yaw Sarpong, who played a significant role when he donated 64 acres of land on which the school is presently sited.

Very Rev. Osei-Boadi said the school presently had a population of 2,448 made up of 2,043 boarders and 405 day students. He said the ratio of boys to girls was 1,349: 1099.

The headmaster said the school had a formidable teaching staff of 87 tutors, including 21 females who had contributed to the school’s success story.

The headmaster said the school recorded 100 per cent pass in the May/June 2009 WASSCE. The Juabenhene, Daasebre Nana Otuo Sireboe 11, who chaired the function, lauded the significant contributions of his predecessors to the development of the school and said he was committed to continue with that effort.

He advised the students to take their education seriously so that they could take over from the aged and contribute meaningfully to the development of the country.

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Bekwai, Mr Joe Osei-Owusu popularlycalled “Joe Wise” who represented the old students on the Board of Governors of the school, said the old students would soon provide the school with Information Communication Technology (ICT) centre to support effective teaching and learning, among other contributions they were making.

Mr W.W. Mensah, a former English tutor of the school, was given aplaque in recognition of his immense contribution to the school’s achievements.