On Tuesday, February 14, 2023, my old primary school mates of St. Theresa’s School and I, were going to visit two teachers who were an integral part of our formation.
In the car, we started talking about how these teachers disciplined us and we are very thankful for that.We were well formed and this can testify as evidence in our lives.
We recalled the lashes and talked about those days when it was a mother who gave birth to a child and it was the community which brings up that child.
I remember been lashed in class one day and unfortunately, the cane trekked down my thighs and left visible marks. At home when I was washing dishes after meals, my dear old auntie saw the marks and asked a simple question, “What did you do, to get caned in school?” It was one the few occasions I suddenly found out that all along I was a stammerer.
Before I could think of what to say, the cane entered into my airspace and descended wickedly all over me. After quickly volunteering what I did wrong, another question came, “What made you do it?” And the cane continued violating my airspace. Those were the good old days and that was the real definition of discipline.
There were moments when an adult who had spied you misbehaving, would come to your parent with you around and start a conversion about anything but you.Then without warning he or she would look gently at you and ask, a simple but difficult question to answer, “Should I tell your mother what you did the other day, on the street?”
These days, the young ones are different. Was it that we never impacted the way we were disciplined on them, to shape them up to grow the way they should?
Today, we have the Children’s Act, 1998 (ACT 560), with its principles including the following: allow children to be healthy; help children to be happy and enjoy life; allowing children to remain safe in their environments;help children to succeed;help achieve economic stability for the future of children and help make a positive contribution to children’s lives
One of the main areas that the Act focuses on is the wellbeing of children. The main part of the Act that most people will know about is the maltreatment of a child and the need to make their findings of maltreatment known to the relevant authorities.
This is all good, since a child must live in a friendly environment and grow up confidently and be encouraged to bring out the best in them.
During our days, some adults, out of hatred or envy, would lash the young with the intention of harming or even maiming the child. The Children’s Act sought to eliminate this and it is most welcome. However, the Children’s Act, only talked about the rights of the Child and not its responsibilities.
So, we have our youth, destroying school properties because they were not given exams questions to prepare before the examinations and some running riot because they did not understand why their seniors before them should fail their exams and they blamed the school authorities.
The shocker of the year was when school girls decided to take the President of the Republic to the cleaners and used words which could easily place them in the group called dzimakpla, meaning children who were not brought up but only reared.
As Ghanaians were thinking of how to resolve this, news broke that an 81-year-old man, named as Ernest Asamoah Yaw, came out to use words on the president, words that will only encourage the young ones to disrespect and insult adults.
Very angry about the way the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme was going to go, Wofa Yaw, while talking to Julius Caesar Anadem on Ultimate FM’s Cup of Tea Show, stated, “Our president gave us so many promises, (without) taken serious action. It makes him a liar. It makes him irresponsible and it makes him useless.”He further demanded that the president quickly shelved any investment under the National Cathedral Project, adding, “Do you call this president a wise president?”
How can such an adult who should be teaching the young ones the way they should grow, come out publicly to use such foul words on the president? Ernest Asamoah Yaw, lived under Nkrumah’s CPP era, when he was between 15 years and 24 years. He surely knows about laws, like False Report Bill, which demands that no one criticized the president and his government and when violated this could land one into jail for at least five years without trial.
Of course, we are now enjoying better form of governance, but that does not mean adults should teach the young ones, through their words and action, how to show disrespect to adults, especially the president. Eighty-one year old Ernest Asamoah Yaw, must sincerely came back and withdraw those words. There are many ways he could express his disappointment in the president but those words he used, do not portray him as a decent person and a good role model for the young. Just while we are wondering how to discipline our young ones, here comes a senior citizen encouraging them to feel free and do what pleases them.
Hon Daniel Dugan.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect The Chronicle’s stance.
