Yesterday marked the first day of school for kids across the country. Many children took their first major step in the academic journey as basic schools re-open for the 2019/2020 academic year.
The new entrants, many of who joined the mainstream school system at class one, were welcomed under the annual “My First Day of School.” celebration by school officials and stakeholders in education.
Members of Parliament, officials of Local Government and Ghana Education Service (GES), also visited schools and interacted with the new entrants and their parents.
The first day of school is full of promise as it is the beginning of acquisition of knowledge through education in the classroom.
Education no doubt has always had the power to enrich lives, open minds, expose kids to things beyond their familiar world and introduce them to new possibilities.
In addition, education teaches what happened in the past so that we might learn from the past and to understand people and different cultures and customs.
It also teaches the arts, music and literature. Through education, we can understand the natural world, how it affects us and how we affect it. Indeed, education is an essential acquisition of survival skills.
That is why, it is important for the nation to support education because without it, one would not be able to fit into today’s world of skilled work.
Gone are the days when a child could grow up with minimal schooling and be fine as an adult, working on the family farm or doing menial jobs that required little skill or knowledge.
In the world of work today, computers and robots have replaced people in many low-skill jobs. Just about any job requires basic computer literacy, good communication skills and the knowledge and mindset that enable someone to learn the new skills in readiness for jobs that keep emerging.
We live in a global economy, and people who hope to compete for jobs need a solid education. These years of childhood, adolescence and the first years of being an adult are the crucial time for preparing for a good life.
The Ghanaian Times is encouraged that the government through the GES is undertaking reforms in the education sector with the view to providing quality education right from the kindergarten to senior high school.
We are hopeful also that, the government would provide adequate facilities as well as teaching and learning materials to all schools, so that the school year would starts on a good note. We welcome all the kids to the first day of school.
