Drama can help curb indiscipline among youth – CNC Director
The Eastern Regional Director of the Centre for National Culture (CNC), Dr Dorcas Salamatu Alhassan, has called for greater use of drama, arts and culture to promote discipline and address social vices among the youth.
She said many forms of indiscipline and social vices witnessed among young people in communities and on social media could be addressed through creative platforms that educate, entertain and promote positive behavioural change.
Dr Alhassan made the call at the 2026 Senior High Schools Student Drama Festival (STuDraFest), organised by the CNC in Koforidua on Tuesday, where students used drama to educate the public on pressing social issues.
The festival brought together 13 senior high schools to showcase their talents in a drama competition, with performances focusing on social issues and vices affecting individuals and communities.
At the end of the competition, Pope John Senior High School emerged winners, followed by Oti Boateng Senior High School in second place and H’Mount Sinai High School in third place.
Pope John Senior High School will represent the Eastern Region at the national STuDraFest competition scheduled for October 30, 2026, at the National Theatre in Accra.
Dr Alhassan said the reintroduction of STuDraFest by the National Commission on Culture (NCC), in collaboration with the Ghana Education Service (GES), was an important step towards using drama as a powerful educational tool to discourage social vices and inculcate discipline and responsible values in students.
She said drama had historically played an important role in educating young people on social issues and influencing positive behavioural change.
She commended the Executive Director of the NCC, Mr Wakefield Wisdom Akweku, for reintroducing the programme into schools and urged stakeholders, individuals and institutions to support its sustainability.
According to her, drama could communicate complex social issues to young people in ways that were entertaining, memorable and easy to understand.
She recalled that drama was previously used to educate communities about HIV and its prevention, demonstrating its potential to influence attitudes and behaviour.
Dr Alhassan said this year’s performances addressed issues including illegal mining, conflict resolution, national unity and irresponsible attitudes towards education.
She noted that the performances on illegal mining demonstrated how the pursuit of quick financial gains could destroy the environment and create greater poverty for the country.
Other performances, she underlined, portrayed students who failed to take their education seriously and later suffered the consequences, offering lessons on discipline, hard work and responsible decision-making.
“Drama is not just entertaining; it is very educative,” she stressed, adding that exposing students to such performances could encourage them to reflect on their actions and make better choices.
Moreover, Dr Alhassan indicated that the lessons students acquired through STuDraFest could remain with them beyond school and help shape responsible citizens who would contribute positively to their communities and the country.
She, therefore, called for increased funding and logistical support to enable the festival to be organised annually and extended to more schools.
She said investment in the programme today could yield future benefits by producing disciplined, creative and socially responsible young people.
FROM AMA TEKYIWAA AMPADU AGYEMAN, KOFORIDUA
