Parents urged to reclaim role in training, disciplining children
The Chief Executive Officer of the Institute for Security, Disaster and Emergency Studies (ISDES), Dr Ishamael Norman, has called on parents to reclaim their primary responsibility of instilling discipline and moral values in their children.
He said raising responsible children was a shared responsibility and should not be left solely to schools, stressing that teachers were employed to impart knowledge and not to replace parents in nurturing good character.
Speaking at the 11th Graduation, Speech and Prize-Giving Day ceremony of Cherryfield Montessori School (CMS) in Accra on Saturday on the theme: “The Impact of Child Rights Advocacy on Discipline and Character Formation in Educational Institutions,” Dr Norman said the growing indiscipline among children reflected the conduct of adults at home.
“If the children of Ghana have become irresponsible, it is because we, the adults, are ourselves irresponsible,” he stated.
Dr Norman said many parents had abdicated their responsibility of raising children of good character and wrongly expected teachers to perform that role.
“My job as a teacher or lecturer is to impart knowledge. The duty of the father and mother is to raise a child of responsibility, love, duty and good character,” he stressed.
He described character formation as a collective responsibility involving parents, teachers, neighbours and the wider community, citing the African proverb that “it takes a village to raise a child.”
Dr Norman also expressed concern over the increasing influence of social media, artificial intelligence and unrestricted internet access on children, warning that they were exposing children to violence, pornography and other harmful content at an early age.
He urged parents to supervise children’s use of digital devices instead of giving them unrestricted access to smartphones and the internet.
He further advocated discipline that respected children’s rights and dignity, noting that child rights advocacy should complement, rather than undermine, efforts to raise disciplined, responsible and productive citizens.
The Proprietor of Cherryfield Montessori School, Ms Magdalene Dzifa Adzanu, said promoting child rights alongside discipline was essential to raising responsible and principled future leaders.
She said respect, dignity and good character remained the foundation of the school’s values and commended parents, teachers and the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) for their continuous support.
She also expressed confidence in the performance of this year’s BECE candidates and urged the graduating class to uphold discipline, integrity and excellence.
The Senior Prefect of the school, Master Kwaku Busia, described serving the school as a rewarding experience and thanked the management, teachers and parents for their support.
He said the prefects had strengthened communication between students and the school authorities and encouraged learners to remain disciplined, punctual and obedient while upholding the values of the school.
He urged continued commitment to discipline and academic excellence among all students as they progress in their education journey and uphold school values at all times without compromise always.
BY CLIFF EKUFUL
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