Ensure that Ghanaian children do not lose touch of their nationality

Accra, Oct. 21, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor has asked the authorities of the Ghana International School (G.I.S.) to make determined efforts to ensure that Ghanaian children there did not lose touch of their sense of nationality.

This, he said, they should do by making them constantly aware of the need to interact with their compatriots in other schools so that they come to appreciate the essence of being Ghanaians.

"The education they receive should enable them to take their rightful places in the country to which they belong".

President Kufuor was addressing a grand durbar to mark the Golden Jubilee Anniversary of the G.I.S. in Accra on Friday. The theme was: "Celebrating Diversity, Learning Our Common Humanity."

He acknowledged that, the school with a population mix of pupils and students from more than 50 countries has been playing a critical role of breaking down barriers of race, colour, religion and gender. The choice of the theme could, therefore, not have been better, especially viewed within the current trends in Ghana, Africa and in the globalised world, he said.

"It reinforces the need to promote mutual confidence and understanding among people of different cultures, creeds and racial backgrounds, as the school has been doing successfully since its inception."

President Kufuor expressed the hope that the school would continue to be a melting pot of ideas, nationalities and cultures. He paid tribute to the founders of the G. I. S. for their foresight and dedication.

Mr Josiah Ampiah, Acting Board Chairman of the school, said it had been growing in leaps and bounds and was now going through the process of International Accreditation and that this would take three years to complete.

The G. I. S. was established on September 1, 1955, with 38 pioneer pupils, it now has a population of more than 1,000 pupils and students. It has been solving a major problem of expatriates working in the country by providing a curriculum that facilitates reintegration of their wards into schools and colleges in their respective countries upon completion of their contracts in Ghana. 21 Oct. 05