Commission Secretary of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Kojo Tito Voegbolor is calling on the Ghana Education Service (GES) for the inclusion of civic education in the country’s academic curriculum.
According to him, the inclusion will help pupils or students to know their rights and responsibilities as citizens of the country.
In an exclusive interview with Thinknewsonline.com at a civic education programme held in collaboration with trained 2022 Miss Ghana Contestants in Accra, he said "Indeed that has been the point NCCE have been making over the years that we need to make civic education part and parcle of our curriculum right from the basic to the territory level"
"It is important because it will help the pupils and students know their rights and responsibilities"
"You can be a good Engineer or Pilot but you need civic education to back you to be committed to tye work that you are doing. Civic Education is very important and that is what we are advocating for"
Speaking on the civic education held in partnership with the trained 2022 Miss Ghana Contestants, he said "After the theoretical session, we thought that it was important to bring the beauty queens to the field to come and have an experience on what civic education is"
"So today, we paired and sent them to the various classrooms for them to talk to the children. From my observation, I realised that they did well and the children also complied very well. We have achieved our goal"
"What the models have seen today, I feel will ginger them and as they go out, they will become ambassadors of civic education on the field. Any platform they get, they need to talk about the importance of Ghanaians loving their country, the importance of Ghanaians sacrificing for their country and also for them to display the qualities of our national values; hardwork, integrity, punctuality and discipline"
"Those are the values that we want Ghanaians to imbibe. If we have these values exhibited by all, Ghana will be a wonderful place that we want it to be."
Advising the school children, he said "They should imbibe what the beauty queens have taught them today"
"They were taught national values, patriotism and nationalism. They should not see this as a talking show. They should see the opportunity and imbibe in this value"
"Once they imbibe, it will help them in their lives"
On her part, the Girls' Education Officer, La Dadekotopon Education Directorate, Bernice Berlinda Bullah said "THe kids were so happy listening to the beauty queens were so happy and it has given me joy. I am going home with an excitement which I can't even express"
She commended the school pupil for their contributions adding that such programmes should be organised to help broaden the knowledge of tye children.
"I have worked with NCCE for some time and I know what they have for our students, since we are losing our tradition, culture and everything, with this, I know it will revive what we have lost"
She appealed to the NCCE to make civic education a continuous project.
"They should do this in every school not just my Municipality"
One of the trained 2022 Miss Ghana Contestants, Gladys Cassandra Bugashie thanked tye NCCE for such great opportunity to interact with the school children on civic education.
"I think this has thought me a big lesson that ij my own small way, I would have to tell people about their rights and responsibilities"
"I have a greater voice and a platform which I can reach out to many people to do so"
"It was very fun and I was really happy because I came to realise that lots of them knew so much about tye country that was a plus. That is whatvwe want to achieve as a country"
She assured Ghanaians of the prestigious crown if chosen to represent the country on the global stage.
The students thanked the NCCE and trained 2022 Miss Ghana Contestants for the great exposure.
They promised to imbibe they have learned from the beauty queens.
Below are some pictures:
Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith