The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr. Eric Kwakye Darfour, has called for people to overcome the skepticism and doubts about the successful implementation of the government’s free senior high school (SHS) policy.
He indicated that the government thought the policy through and was convinced that this could be done.
He was speaking at the formal opening of this year’s child initiative forum in Koforidua.
The programme was organized by the Child Right International, an NGO, under the theme “Promoting positive social norms, the role of children”.
It brought together in excess of 250 children from across the country.
Mr. Darfour called for parents to properly supervise their children at home – to prevent them from spending more of their time watching television and chatting on the social media.
They should be encouraged to work hard on their books because that was the way to avoid being left behind by globalization, he added.
He expressed concern about what he said was the over protection of children by some parents, something, which he said was stoking recklessness and indiscipline among many a young people.
Ms. Yaa Peprah Amekudzi of Mondelex International Cocoa Life, the guest speaker, said research indicated that majority of teenage pregnant girls were impregnated by their male colleagues and advised the youth not to rush into sexual relationship.
She urged the youth to have confidence in themselves and stop posting their nude pictures on the social media.
Mr Bright Appiah, Executive Director of Child Rights International, said the forum was meant to create the platform to give voice to children.
He spoke of the need to go the extra mile to give protection to the youth and shield them from the negative impact of the social media.
He announced that his organization had initiated legal process to ensure that 201 children who could not write the Basic Education Certificate Examination through no fault of theirs were given the opportunity to write the examination.
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