Education for youth non-negotiable - Andy Osei Okrah
The Founder of Young Professionals and Youth Coalition (YPYC) Mr. Andy Osei Okrah, has stated that education for the youth of the country must be a non-negotiable policy.
That, he explained, was because education was the primary means of rebuilding the society, equipping people and also served as a means to bring out strength of character and a spirit of philanthropy for the development of a nation.
Advertisement
Mr Okrah who made the call in a statement on the occasion of International Youth Day which was marked on August 12, 2021 said “Real education is that which enables one to stand on one’s own legs.”
“In education, apart from professional specialisations, we have to essentially focus on the moral compass and a value system,” it added and commended all stakeholders including governments and non-governmental bodies who stood and directed much of their energy in the development of the youth over the years.
Future of youth
The statement said the youth were the future of every nation and also the strongest force which brought about a positive change in society, explaining that it was during that period of life that one could mould his or her future by acquiring the requisite skills to shoulder responsibilities as an adult.
Mr. Okrah therefore advised the youth of the country to explore their strengths, interests and aptitudes to enable them to translate their dreams into actual possibilities in their adult life.
Citing one of the iconic youth models of all times, Swami Vivekananda from India, who he said, had been a great influence for the celebration of youth day, it said the youth are a group with diverse possibilities but still remained vulnerable.
He explained that as vulnerable people, the youth could be manipulated, brainwashed and led astray and that if young people were indoctrinated with hatred and the cult of violence, they could become a burden on the society.
However, he said “if young people stand for peace and progress, their enormous energy can produce miracles”.
The statement therefore called on the youth to channel their energies in the right direction.
“The goal should always be to create responsible and conscientious individuals who will build on the foundation of their rich past to develop a meaningful vision for the future.
“They should be the harbingers of a better social order, building bridges between communities and cultures across the countries,” the statement emphasised.
Background
The YPYC is a youth organisation, bent on renewing and transforming the youth into young professionals with a strong sense of generational thinking primarily for national development.
Since its conception over the past twelve years the YPYC had been very pivotal to the country and the world at large as it continued to produce hardworking and resourceful youth leaders with a changed mindset for transformational leadership.
Theme
Touching on the theme for this year’s celebration which is “Transforming food systems: Youth innovation for human and planetary health,” the statement said the success of such global effort would not be achieved without the meaningful participation of the young people.
It, therefore, called for continued investments in agricultural research and development as well as technological innovations while paving the way for programmes and policies that were based on sound evidence.
It said Ghana as a country had played major roles in the various sectors of food systems but these dying efforts had not greatly improved the industrial food regime as a result of its negative environmental challenges thereby resulting in malnutrition values, bad prices for farmers and reduction in export revenue.
The statement further said the youth being the strong force of the nation should be highly educated to engage in research methods and practices to effectively and efficiently produce foods in its greater quantities without compromising on quality.