The growing impact of the Sunyani Adolescents Parliament under the Resilient City for Adolescents (RCA) Project is beginning to reshape student leadership and civic engagement across the Bono Region, as more Senior High Schools express interest in adopting the model to empower young people to speak up, build confidence and actively contribute to community development.
A major milestone in this movement has been recorded at Sacred Heart Senior High School (SAHESS) at Nsoatre, which has officially inaugurated the first-ever Students Parliament at the Senior High School level in the Bono Region – a historic step in strengthening student leadership, democratic participation and civic responsibility.
The initiative, conceived by Master Edmond Osei Kwadwo, Senior Prefect of SAHESS and a Senior Clerk of the Sunyani Adolescents Parliament under the RCA Project, is designed to provide students with a structured platform to engage in decision-making processes and advocate for issues affecting student welfare.
The Students Parliament is expected to promote democratic values within the school environment, enhance leadership and public speaking skills, foster constructive dialogue between students and school authorities and nurture a generation of responsible future leaders committed to national development.
The inauguration ceremony attracted key stakeholders including the Speaker and members of the Sunyani Adolescents Parliament, representatives of the Sunyani Technical University SRC Parliament, the management of SAHESS, and students from various sister schools. The event was chaired by Mr. Raphael Godlove Ahenu, Chief Executive Officer of Global Media Foundation (GLOMEF).
In his address, Mr. Ahenu commended the school’s leadership for creating a progressive platform that strengthens students’ democratic rights and amplifies their voices in school governance.
He noted that the establishment of the Students Parliament presents a critical opportunity for young people to shape positive attitudes, develop leadership capacity, and contribute meaningfully to the growth of their school communities.
However, he cautioned students to use the platform responsibly. “The parliament should not be used for personal interests or divisions, but rather as a tool to promote discipline, academic excellence, leadership, and positive behavioural change among students,” he stressed.
Mr Ahenu further encouraged students to leverage the platform to champion campaigns against negative behaviours that could undermine academic performance, moral development, and overall wellbeing.
The event also featured impactful student-led presentations from Notre Dame Senior High School and SAHESS on sanitation management and the use of digital tools for entrepreneurship and business development. A lively panel discussion on “The Role of Students in the Utilisation of Social Media” brought together student representatives from Berekum SHS, Sacred Heart SHS, and Notre Dame SHS, focusing on responsible digital engagement and opportunities within the online space.
A key highlight of the programme was the swearing-in of Master Edmond Osei Kwadwo as Speaker of the SAHESS Students Parliament by Mr. Ahenu, followed by the formal inauguration of Members of Parliament to commence their legislative duties.
In his closing remarks, Mr. Ahenu reaffirmed GLOMEF’s commitment to support and scale the initiative, stating that his organisation is ready to adopt, nurture, and promote the SAHESS Students Parliament as a model framework for other schools in the Bono Region and across Ghana.
By Edmond Gyebi
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