Expedite action on Education Partnership

Dignitaries with delegates 

Government has been advised to commit more resources to the running of schools in the country and expedite action on the partnership Agreement in education between the Church and the State.

Most Rev. Joseph Afrifah-Agyekum, Bishop of Koforidua, who expressed disquiet about delays in implementing the partnership agreement, asked the Government to stop paying lips service to the partnership and implement the agreement to ensure the delivery of quality education.

The Bishop, made these remarks at the just ended 38^th Annual Conference of the Association of Catholic Heads of Higher Institutions (ACHHI) held at the Pope John’s Senior High School and Minor Seminary, Koforidua.

The Local Ordinary who chaired the opening, commended members of ACHHI for their tireless efforts in training students, and called on stakeholders to work together to rid politics of education.

Mr. Eric Kwakye Darfour, Eastern Regional Minister, who drew a direct link with education and progress in every human endeavours, commended the Catholic Church for her role in the provision and sustaining the high standards in education.

He appealed to the Church to working together with the state to ensure mutual cooperation in meeting the needs and aspirations of the state and Church in their investment in education.

Very Rev. Fr. John Kobina Louis, of the Catholic Institute of Business and Technology (CIBT), Accra, in an address on the theme: Effective Management and Administration of Catholic Schools: The Roles of the Stakeholders, urged all parties to work together to ensure attainment of Church’s goals in education. 

He noted that although several governments have praised the Catholic Church for her contribution towards education in Ghana, most of their policies does not promote the achievement of the Church’s educational goals.

Fr. Louis expressed hope that the Government will make good their promise to handover the management of mission schools to their respective owners, with financial support for the running of the schools.

In his address, Very Rev. Nicholas Kwame Apetorgbor, National President of ACHHI, said the Church’s venture in education was for the integral development of the human person, which the Church was committed to.

He entreated administrators of Catholic Schools to be proactive in injecting Catholic values of discipline, respect for all and hard work in the students they were training.

He called on stakeholders to be proactive in taking over the administration of mission school in the interest of the nation and the young people, who he said were yearning for quality holistic education that prepares them for the world.

Fr. Apetorgbor who also heads the St. Cyprian Senior High School at Sawla in the Damongo Diocese, urged the administrator of Catholic Schools to encourage their students to critically think about innovative ways of tackling social issues in the country.

“The educational environment and processes in our schools should be fine-tuned to appreciate and reflect more on self-discipline, personal conduct and social responsibility, as well as promote spiritual, social and moral values,” he added.

As part of the week-long Conference, the Heads had a retreat at Nkurakan, and deliberated on pertinent issues concerning the entrenchment of Catholic values in their respective schools, as well as the development and progress of ACHHI.