Produce value-driven students for national development — Dr Fiagbe
The President of the Psychiatric Association of Ghana, Dr Delali Fiagbe, has urged schools to strive to create value-driven students who would be agents of change and contribute significantly to the nation’s growth.
Advertisement
He explained that developing students who were full of commitment, innovation, social responsibility, compassion, diversity, inclusivity and integrity would create a future whose members would have mindset and attitudinal change, as well as a values-driven disposition to excellence.
Dr Fiagbe gave the advice at the 85th-Anniversary Speech and Prize giving Day of the Presbyterian Boys’ Senior High School (PRESEC), Legon, held in Accra.
The celebration was on the theme “Building on a foundation of excellence.”
This year’s event, which was spearheaded by the 1998-year group, recognised and honoured well-deserving students and staff for exemplary performances and roles they had played in helping the school achieve various feats.
As part of the programme, a science laboratory refurbished collaboratively by the Presbyterian Church and the government was commissioned and handed over to the school.
It was made up of two well-equipped labs each for biology, physics and chemistry.
Corruption
Dr Fiagbe said value-driven change agents would address the menace of corruption because they would generate ideas, envision scenarios and prepare themselves and society against corruption.
“If you don't have the intention to address corruption before entering into politics, you won't be any different.
Value-driven change agents are always ready with their solutions long before corruption stings,” he added.
Dr Fiagbe also stressed that while society often heaps blame on those in positions of power who had become victims of the system created, “we must, as a nation, exercise caution in how we correct, instruct and chastise them.”
That, he said, was because there was the existence of “copycat syndrome” and with that, amplifying the wrongdoings of these individuals could have a ripple effect in society and may contribute to their perpetuation.
A Deputy Minister of Education, Reverend John Ntim Fordjour, said that the vision and intent of the government were to provide an environment not only for academic excellence to take place but also an environment where character met curriculum.
To the students, Rev. Fordjour said PRESEC boasted as a school that had raised some of the most influential people in various endeavours in the country and as such, they must look upon the lustrous examples set by old students and be inspired to be the best.
Appeal
The Headmaster of the school, David Odjidja, noted that the year under review was the most successful in the school’s history.
However, he stressed that it had not been without some major challenges including a serious infrastructure deficit, and desks for teaching and learning, among others.
Mr Odjidja used the opportunity to appeal for a 30-seater and 5000-seater capacity auditorium that could contain all students at the same time for effective school organisation and examinations.
