Inculcate the fear of God in children - Botwe

Lashibi, July 24, GNA - The Minister for Information, Mr Dan Botwe, has stressed the need for schools to inculcate the fear of God in the training of children so that they would grow up to become useful citizens.

He urged parents to also collaborate with teachers to give children the kind of training that would be beneficial to the society, advising them not to complain when their children are punished for indiscipline. Addressing the inaugural of the Emerald International School, at Lashibi, near Tema, on Sunday, Mr Botwe said education was not only about academic qualification but also how educated persons conducted themselves and their meaningful contributions to society.

He acknowledged the role of the private individuals in the provision of quality education and the provision of schools at newly developed and developing areas where public schools did not exist and gave an assurance of government's commitment to ensuring that basic education was made accessible to all children of school-going age.

The Minister called for a need for the operators of private institutions to collaborate with the Ministry of Education to ensure similar teaching practices in the private and public schools. He advised the pupils to show respect for their teachers and refrain from engaging in immoral acts.

In an address read for her, Municipal Director of Education, Mrs Lucy Kwapong, advised proprietors of private schools to register with the Ghana Education Service (GES) and to liaise with personnel of the Municipal Education Office for information on educational issues. She appealed to managements of private schools to charge affordable fees to ensure the right of every child to quality education.

In a welcoming address the proprietor of the school, Mr Simon Agbegbo, appealed to government to cancel the payment of property rates for schools and reduce taxes on private schools.

He also appealed to the Ministry of Education to consider posting some graduates and trained teachers on attachment to the private schools and to provide the approved and modern teaching aids to the private sector.