EDUCATION MUST LIBERATE THE MIND — AGBOGBOMEFIA (SPREAD, NO 15, 2010)

The Agbogbomefia of the Asogli State, Togbe Afede XIV, has stated that a good educational system must liberate the minds of future leaders and equip them with creative and innovative skills, lest they become smart conformists and custodians of the status quo, instead of agents of change that the country needs.
In an address at a durbar to climax the 60th anniversary of Mawuli School in Ho, Togbe Afede said, “It is not about the length of pre-university education; neither is it a question of how it is labelled. So the starting point is an appreciation of the true purpose of education.”
He said the school system must begin to inculcate discipline and honesty, self-confidence, a sense of independence, hard work, absolute commitment to the chosen careers, altruism, tolerance and the ability to think positively and persevere in future leaders.
In an address read on his behalf, the Vice President, Mr John Dramani Mahama, noted that Mawuli School had produced very important personalities who found themselves in all spheres of national life and were serving in various responsible positions in the country and elsewhere.
He, therefore, urged the current school board, the management, the Evangelical Presbyterian Church and all stakeholders not to be complacent with achievements but continuously strive for the attainment of the best for the school.
Mr Mahama said human capital formation and development was central to the government’s efforts at building a better Ghana and that the educational system was being accordingly engineered and retooled to meet national hopes and aspirations.
The Vice President advised students to eschew negative practices such as laziness, dishonesty, the use of hard drugs and cyber fraud and rather adopt the virtues of hard work, discipline and honesty in order to propel the development of the nation faster and in the right direction.
The headmaster of the school, Mr J.M.K. Osei-Nyansa, said the school had produced about 15,000 students, who are contributing to the socio-economic development of Ghana and the world.
He said the current student population was 1,351, comprising 491 girls and 860 boys, with a staff strength of 69 teachers and 74 non-teaching staff.
In a solidarity message, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, the Right Reverend Francis Amenu, said it was imperative to invest in Mawuli School and the EP Church in order for them to cope with the dynamics of the technological era.
“The time for positive action to rebuild the school is, indeed, now to adequately meet and live fruitfully the dream and vision of the founding fathers in terms of human capital development,” he said.
In a welcoming address, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the school, Reverend Frank Anku, charged all past students and other stakeholders to be genuinely committed to the cause of the school.
The Chairman of the Council of State, Professor Kofi Awoonor, later inaugurated a new administration block for the school to commemorate its 60th anniversary.
The edifice, which is valued at GH¢30 million, was funded by the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund).