The Principal of Komenda College of Education, Very Rev. Dr Kwesi Kum Wilson, has called for a renewed emphasis on moral education, arguing that academic excellence alone is insufficient to produce responsible and disciplined citizens.
He said Ghana’s education system must pay greater attention to character formation in homes, schools and churches to address what he described as growing moral decadence in society.
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Very Rev. Dr Wilson made the call during the 50th anniversary celebration of Bethany Methodist Basic School at Essikado in the Western Region.
According to him, the country had reached a critical point regarding the outcomes of its educational system, expressing concern that many educated people lacked patriotism and ethical values.
“I see more of pen robbers, selfish individuals and a lack of patriotism, which has resulted in the destruction of the natural resources the country has been blessed with,” he said.
The educationist urged stakeholders to adopt a more holistic approach to raising children by combining academic instruction with moral and values-based education.
Reflecting on his years as a pupil at Bethany Methodist Basic School, he recalled the strong emphasis placed on discipline, responsibility and Christian values through activities such as morning worship, hymn singing and evening church services.
He said although today’s children were not fundamentally different from previous generations, society had failed to provide them with the guidance and discipline necessary to mould them into responsible adults.
Very Rev. Dr Wilson stressed that parents, as children’s first teachers, must play a leading role in nurturing good character and instilling positive values.
He expressed gratitude to Bethany Methodist Basic School for shaping his personal values, describing the institution as instrumental in developing his sense of discipline, responsibility, initiative, sportsmanship and Christian principles.
Established in September 1971, Bethany Methodist Basic School was founded to provide Methodist children in Essikado with access to education closer to their community, eliminating the need to travel to the Sekondi Methodist School.
The anniversary celebration was held on the theme, “Quality Education: The Role of Stakeholders.”
The Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Director of Education, Ms Sally Nelly Coleman, urged parents to support their children’s education by providing essential learning materials and ensuring their overall welfare.
She said investing in children’s education remained critical to improving learning outcomes and encouraged the school’s management to explore public-private partnerships to address infrastructure challenges.
The Paramount Chief of Essikado, Nana Kobena Nketsia V, also appealed to adults to work together in raising responsible children, stressing the need to safeguard the future of the younger generation.
The Headmistress of the school, Ms Sarah Gyan, commended the School Management Committee, old students and other stakeholders for their continued support, noting that the school had achieved notable success in academics, sports and quiz competitions.
She appealed for support to expand the school’s kindergarten block to accommodate the increasing number of children seeking early childhood education.
