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| 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 38th 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.
