“In no time the Sekondi Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly is going to deploy a task force to arrest children who are found at funeral services and also roaming within the metropolis during odd hours.”
This is a caution from the Sekondi-Takoradi Mayor, Anthony KK Sam, as he addressed a town hall meeting.
He bemoaned how some parents fail to discipline their wards when they attend funeral services, parties and roam about in the metropolis at odd hours.
The mayor stated that the assembly will be “doing the parenting for such parents but at a great cost.”
Mr Sam also observed with worry that some parents tend to prioritise their needs ahead of the basic educational needs of their children.
“Most parents do not provide for their words educational needs but are quick in buying cloths for funeral services.”
This, he said, has been the major contributory factor to the downward trend of education within the metropolis.
“So in no time we will deploy a task force; they are to arrest any child found gallivanting during odd hours. Such child will be detained for their parents to come and explain what their child was doing at that time of the day,” he warned.
Earlier, a former Presiding Member (PM) of Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly, Yusif Yamson, who also spoke at the public forum, expressed worry about how the wrong use of technology was affecting education standards in the metropolis.
He was aware of the immense benefits of technology in shaping the education capabilities of the students, but was equally disturbed that technology was not being used properly.
Unfortunately, he observed that some parents were encouraging their wards to use it without proper supervision.
He added that teachers have been rendered powerless in enforcing discipline in the various schools as some parents physically confront teachers for disciplining their children.
He singled out the broadcasting of telenovelas and said it had become a strong destruction to children.
“Our screens are now awash with telenovelas and it is worrying to see parents watching telenovelas with their children late in the night at the expense of their books.”
He observed that children who stay late in the night to watch telenovalas tend to perform poorly in schools.
He therefore, advised parents to intensify their supervision.
Story: Simon AHENSAH, ATV, Takoradi, Western Region
Writer’s email: siahensah@atvgh.com