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23.03.2019 Opinion

Has The Ghanaian Youth Been Subjected To A Non-Performing Complainer?

By Bibiana Owusu Prempeh Gyasi
Has The Ghanaian Youth Been Subjected To A Non-Performing Complainer?
23.03.2019 LISTEN

The Ghanaian youth is a lot of things. Subjected is an understatement or even an overstatement when viewed from different angles and perspective. From convenient perspectives that is. There are so many excuses both good and bad about why most of our Ghanaian youth are not functioning. Failed parental strategies? Educational system, political and national policies and the “system” whatever that means. The Ghanaian youth most of the time is seen complaining about his fate. His bad luck for being born a Ghanaian.

The high and mighty compare “go here and there and see how well equipped and involved the youth are in nation building and decision making” they say with a feeling of self-righteousness as if they have solved a great puzzle. Perhaps they are right. Its easy to stand back and talk about something you are not a part of. “We are not given the exposure and training that will equip us to contribute to national development, ” some say

Everyone is right or wrong taking it from different angles. The problem of not believing in our own abilities is not a new thing and its not something we can just complain about and forget. The question is, will complaining solve our problems?

Should we blame our educational system?

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A system that trains students to fit in an environment that is unfamiliar to them. Square pegs in round holes, they call it. A system that dwells on rote learning. The oldest form of learning where memorization is intelligence and creativity and individuality is relegated to the background. Where students with different levels of capacity and intelligence are taught the same thing and expected to produce the same results. Where a fish is judged by his ability to climb a tree and when it is not able to , its considered useless. An educational system which dwells too much on theory and lacks practicality and feasibility?

Perhaps we should blame our leaders

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They have so many faults. We could list their flaws from A to Z and get something to represent each alphabet. Majority complain that the leaders do not care about the citizens because their children go to the best schools outside the country and eat the best meals in the country. They dont have to worry about the poor conditions of the road because they drive jeeps and cars made to defeat the recklessness of the roads. Who cares if the hospitals are poorly equipped, they have the best specialists who they go to for routine check ups and treatment. They do not experience the heat on a warm night with no light because they have power plants, solar generators and backups to run to. These leaders who use our young people for selfish political gains and electoral victories. The list could go on and on.

Maybe we should blame our parents.

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who never told us how difficult life actually is. They neglected the actual real life talks and forced us to persue careers that would make them look good and left us clueless. Maybe they lured and brainwashed us into following certain paths, faith or political affiliation just because it suited them. And never gave us the opportunity to be analytical. So that you will hear a young person say I support party A. But in all honesty, he supports party A because that’s all he has been exposed to. Thats all he has been allowed to associate with. “Follow this because that is what we your parents follow”. And woe betise you if you go contrary to a religion, ideology, career, political affiliation of your family, “You are finished” the Nigerian man will say.

Who else should we blame?

Oh yeah, the system. Something I find hard to understand. What is the system?

I am yet to find a group of young people conversing who do not mention the failing state of our nation. The policies that are stifling their growth and the educational malfunctions and political interferences in everything. Poverty and low standard of living, debts and unending suspicious aids from foreigners.

It’s frustrating to think about all the issues. The prices of things shooting up, the cedi at the mercy of the “coveted” American dollars and British pounds. The deplorable state of our roads. Political militant groups and the list of a 1001 problems that hangs over us at night and welcomes us in the morning with a cocks crow.

My question is who should we blame?

Since that’s what most of us are good at. Complaining and blaming whoever is possibly connected to it. Feeling a sense of self-righteousness because in our heads we are not the government or we don’t make educational policies.

But who is to be blamed for the filth?

Who should we blame for allowing themselves to be lured by these same people we complain are the cause of our headaches. Perhaps its poverty, unemployment, blind love and support for politics.

Who should be blamed for the failing rate of the cedi? Perhaps the government is to be blamed because it has failed in arresting it like it promised. The next time you complain look around you and count all the cars in sight and ask yourself how many of them were imported.

Who is to be blamed for the number of people who leave tertiary institutions with no jobs for years. Maybe its our educational system. But remember a lot of people passed through this same system and has been able to make something of themselves.

We know our educational system trains us to be employees rather than employers but what is stopping us from learning and equipping ourselves with the array of available information?

This article is not to point fingers at anyone. We are all a part of the problem, hence a part of the solution.

I believe there is so much inherent in us as the future of this country. But we cannot harness it if we complain all time and not take action . Power and authority, success is taken not given. Yes our “system” is a problem.

Are we going to add to the problems our system have?

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