Traditional leaders, elders and opinion leaders of Tutu in the Akuapem area of the Eastern Region have introduced a series of measures aimed at reversing what they describe as the declining standard of education among schoolchildren in the community.
Under the new measures, children of school-going age found roaming the streets of Tutu after 8:00 p.m. will be apprehended, with their parents or guardians required to pay a prescribed fee before the children are released.
The community leaders said the measure was intended to instill discipline among schoolchildren and ensure that they returned home early to prepare adequately for school the following day.
They further resolved that students who failed to complete assignments given to them by their teachers could face suspension from school until further notice. The leaders also issued a strong warning to parents against interfering with disciplinary measures taken by teachers.
According to them, any parent who visits a school to insult or physically assault a teacher for disciplining his or her child would risk having the child expelled from the school.
The measures were announced at Tutu during an educational support programme organised by the Akuapem Credit Union, which presented exercise books and cash donations to students participating in its youth savings programme.
The traditional leaders urged parents, teachers and community members to work together to improve discipline and academic performance among children in the area.
They said parents had a critical responsibility to monitor their children’s activities outside school and support teachers in enforcing discipline.
Meanwhile, the Manager of the Akuapem Credit Union, Mr. Alexander Asare, explained that the donation formed part of the institution’s efforts to encourage young people to develop the habit of saving.
He said the initiative was also a way of giving back to students who had enrolled in the Credit Union’s youth savings programme.
Mr. Asare said the exercise books and cash donations were intended to motivate the beneficiaries to remain committed to saving, even if they could only put aside small amounts of money, and encouraged the students to cultivate the habit of saving from an early age.
Some of the students who benefited from the initiative expressed appreciation to the management of the Akuapem Credit Union for the support, stating that the donations would assist them in their studies and encouraged them to continue saving with the Credit Union.
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