The headmaster of St. Augustine’s College, Joseph Connel, has attributed the breakdown of discipline in schools to the attitude of some parents who have the habit of defending their wards at any given opportunity.
He condemned the attitude of parents who defend their wards when such children go contrary to laid-down regulations.
Mr Connel explained that, many parents and homes do not accept any negative rewards given to their wards for behaving inappropriately.
“They jump quickly to the defence of the students and some even threaten court action against college administration, especially when there is a little benefit of doubt in the case,” he said.
Mr Connel said this during the 89th anniversary celebration and speech and prize-giving day of St Augustine’s College held at the school’s premises over the weekend.
The event was on the theme, ‘Repositioning the values and ethics of the college for effective education delivery.’
The 1994 year group, the sponsors of this year’s anniversary, renovated the school’s dispensary and provided beds and other facilities.
The group also renovated the basketball court with the aim of contributing to the development of sports in the school.
Mr Connel further stated that some parents had the tendency to plead for their wards found guilty of an offence to be freed.
“In my candid opinion, let us allow these adolescent students to face the consequences of their own actions now, especially when it will not jeopardise nor truncate their education,” he said.
He explained that such students would learn good lessons from their teenage behaviours, consequential outcomes, experiences and therefore chart a course that would lead them to be responsible adults and citizens in the future.
“After all, the corrections they receive today will not kill them; it would mould them instead,” he said.
Mr Connel indicated that, the training of young ones to fit into society was a collective responsibility, and said institutions must complement one another to achieve it.
In an address, the guest speaker, Jojo Entsuah, a past student of the school, underscored the need for the nation’s education to ensure that graduates contribute toward nation development.
He stated that, the education system should strive to produce problem solvers, adding that people should be supported to develop their potential since such skills would be crucial for the nation’s transformation process.
The Central Regional Minister, Kwamena Duncan, in an address, stated the government’s commitment towards improving infrastructure in the various senior high schools across the country.
The regional minister assured that measures to address the infrastructure challenges facing the school would soon be rolled out, adding that the double-track system would be eliminated from the nation’s educational system once the challenge of infrastructure was addressed.
Mr Duncan admonished parents to take advantage of the free Senior High School (SHS) policy and ensure that their wards made the best use of it.
The Archbishop of Cape Coast, Most Rev Charles Gabriel Palmer-Buckle, who was the chairman of the event, also reiterated the need for the country to put in place strategies that would help develop the human resource for effective transformation.
From David O. Yarboi-Tetteh, Cape Coast
