Include culture in school curriculum-Educationist

Tema, July 15, GNA- Experts and stakeholders in education have been asked to ensure that the relevant aspects of the Ghanaian culture are included in the school curriculum.

Mrs Lucy Kwapong, the Tema Municipal Director of Education, who made the call on Thursday, observed that even though culture played a significant role in ensuring discipline and tolerance, it had been ignored by the present generation.

She was speaking at the Tema Municipal sixth second cycle schools cultural festival, under the theme: "Indiscipline and Intolerance in our schools-A challenge to our culture", in the city. Eight schools in the municipality took part in the celebration dubbed 'STUDRAFEST', which involved poetry recitals, drum language and drama.

Mrs Kwapong said: "With the introduction of western education and way of life, we have thrown away the things that we used to value and cherish in our culture, and society is struggling to deal with indiscipline which has now become a canker in our schools". She expressed worry about the alarming rate of indiscipline and intolerance among students, which posed as a challenge to the country's cultural survival.

Mr Kwapong, however, hoped that the organization of cultural festivals would help mould the lives of students to enable them change from bad practices. Mrs Roberta Appau, headmistress of Our Lady of Mercy Secondary School in Tema, noted that culture played a significant role in national development.

She, therefore, urged Ghanaians, especially students to actively participate in cultural activities so that they could know more about the country's heritage. Mrs Appau called on parents to assist school authorities to fight against indiscipline and obscenity in schools and cautioned students not to adopt negative foreign cultures.