The Chief of Sakyikrom in Nsawam Adoagyiri constituency of the Eastern region Nana Sakyi Agyarkwa V has officially declared a ban on all school children from town after 7pm as part of effort to address a decline in academic performance of students in the community.
The ban also aims at helping to eliminate peer pressure groups which lures students into strands of social vices activities leaving some adolescent girl child in teenage pregnancies.
Speaking in an interview during the 4th Akwasidae festival of Sakyikrom this year, Nana Sakyi Agyarkwa explained the preparedness of the traditional authority to engage the police administration to collaborate with the community dog watch committee of Sakyikrom to ensure the full operation of the ban.
He revealed that the academic performance of students has totally declined because none of their children in the community has ever qualified to benefit from a scholarship scheme instituted for brilliant students at Sakyikrom.
The Chief warned that individuals who will disregard and rebel against the directives or the orders shall be made to face the punishment he or she deserves.
The Chief believes that this and many other measures put in place will ensure that Sakyikrom is place on the path of development where their children and ground children become the beneficiaries.
“Since I became the chief of Sakyikrom I have realized that children are fond of trekking outside during the night so I intend to constitute a community watch dog after which I will submit to the police station for approval ”
“The community watch dog will make sure children do not walk outside in the night , they are not to beat them but to advice them and lead them to their house to go and learn when they are found outside”
“I want the children to stick to their books so I also advised the parents to keep their children in the house and supervise them to study their books”
“I have a scholarship scheme in our website but none of our children qualifies for it this means that we are lagging behind regarding education, my aim is that all our children will acquire the needed knowledge and improve in their education”
He added that “Academic performance is very low, it will be very difficult to point out about 20 graduates who hails from Sakyikrom”
“I am currently waiting for a report from the Mmerantehene because I have assigned him to take charge of the new orders that I gave and it will be properly scrutinized by myself and give the necessary advise”
“There are about 32 communities in Sakyikrom we will educate parents and their children from one house to the other , it’s going to be a gradual process to develop this town”
“The appropriate punishment will be spelt out to individuals or parents who refuses to honour my orders”
The Mawerehene of Sakyikrom oh his part added that, “I am in support of the orders of the chief because the development of every town partly rely on it youth and the children so if the children are not well educated it affect the development of the town”
“We will help him to execute this his vision to ensure that the children takes their studies and education serious”
We the parents must be responsible enough to guard our children to stay in the house to learn so I fully support the Chief for coming out with this vision which put a ban on children from going out in the night”
Source:Â Michael Akrofi, Contributor