Chiefs asked to help do away with non-progressive practices

Aputuogya (Ash), July 16, GNA - An appeal has been made to traditional rulers to devise more effective and bold measures that will help do away with aspects of the Ghanaian culture that impedes progress and development of the nation.

Mrs Gladys Asamani, the Bosomtwe-Atwima-Kwanwoma District Director of Education, who made the appeal, noted that even though Ghana had a unique culture, certain practices including female genital mutilation in certain areas and expensive funeral celebrations continue to be obstacles to progress and speedy development of society.

Mrs Asamani was opening a two-day Inter-circuit Cultural festival for basic schools in the Bosomtwe-Atwima-Kwanwoma district at Aputuogya on Friday.

Nine circuits are contesting in dance drama, drumming and dancing, choral music, poetry recital and art and craft exhibition as well as drum language.

Mrs Asamani stressed, "expensive funerals in particular, which brings in its trail hardships to bear on many families, thereby forcing some of them to shirk their parental responsibilities must at all cost be discouraged by chiefs".

She said the mantle of initiating a positive change in our cultural heritage rest with traditional rulers and nobody else, since they are the custodians of our cultural heritage.

Mr Joseph Donkor, the District Cultural Officer, advised teachers and school pupils to give equal attention to the teaching and learning of cultural studies just as they do for other academic subjects. He said culture had a crucial role to play in identifying "us as a people and should never be down played in favour of any other pursuit".

Mr Donkor said it is because of its value and importance to development and the nation that the government thought it prudent to introduce cultural studies in basic schools in the country.