Minister bemoans increasing indiscipline in schools.

Koforidua, July 31, GNA- The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Yaw Barimah has called on churches to help curb the increasing indiscipline among the youth in schools and the communities.

He said issues such as pre-marital sex, the use of drugs, pornography, misuse of internet facilities and occultism are threatening the future of the youth and therefore on the churches and institutions to help stamp out such practices and attitudes out immediately surfaced.

Mr. Barimah said this in a speech read on his behalf at the 25th anniversary of the Pentecost Social Services(PENTSOS) and the Pentecost Schools at Koforidua on Saturday. He said the socio-economic development of the nation cannot be achieved by the Government alone and that the Government would continue to support and encourage institutions, organizations and churches that would assist in the overall development of the nation.

Mr Barimah commended the Pentecost Church and its stakeholders on their achievement upon which the school has thrived in the past noting, "it is not easy to maintain excellence in academic performance for twenty-five years running without any disruption."

The Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, Mr Yaw Osafo-Marfo in a speech read on his behalf said his doors were open to dialogue with Churches and others in the private sector on ways to accelerate the development of quality education which would be accessible to the people.

He said in appreciation of the quality and accessible education that the Church of Pentecost was providing to Ghanaians, his Ministry would provide the Pentecost Schools of Koforidua with a school bus. Mr. Osafo-Marfo said his Ministry was considering the possibility of extending the benefits of the GETFund to all private schools that are supporting the efforts of Government.

The head of Koforidua Pentecost School, Mr Christian Nartey Djamoe, said the school would continue programmes that would promote increased access to education with special emphasis on the girl-child. He said the school had maintained its focus in improving the quality of teaching and learning through effective supervision and monitoring and that it would support the Ghana Education Service (GES) in fulfilling the goals of the educational reforms.

As part of the Silver Jubilee, a 500-million-cedis library project constructed by the school and a canteen costing about 146 million cedis constructed by the Parent Teachers Association were commissioned.