Discipline is relevant to development - Dr Aryee

President of the 1963 year group of the Old Achimotans Association (AKORAS), Dr Joyce R. Aryee has underscored the relevance of discipline in national development and urged the leadership of the nation to make discipline and adherence to ethics their watchword.

“Disciplined leadership at the national, local, traditional, religious, educational level is what is required for our country to break free from its backwardness,” she stated.

Ms Aryee was speaking at the 86th Founders’ Day durbar of the Achimota Senior High School on Saturday.

It was on the theme “Discipline; the hallmark of a progressive society”.

The Founders' Day is held annually in remembrance of the founders of the school who include Sir Gordon Guggisberg, Reverend Alexander Fraser and Dr Kwegyir Aggrey.

A ceremonial parade was held by the cadet corps of the school as well as a display of the cultures of the various ethnic groups in Ghana by the students as part of the ceremony.

Dr Aryee, also a former Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, noted that mediocrity, selfishness and indiscipline were obstacles to development which the country needed to guard against.

“Indiscipline is the reason for bribery, corruption, nepotism, greed, irreverence towards orderliness, laziness and mediocrity. This must stop,” she said.

She urged leaders of the nation to implement strict disciplinary and moral codes to solve the daunting challenges the nation faced now, adding that discipline bred creative thinking and proactive actions.

For the country to succeed, she said, there was the need to ensure strict adherence to rules and regulations, laws and policies at the national stage and the willingness to conform to them.

“Individuals must exhibit a consistent commitment to conform to our own set of ethical principles which they will not compromise on,” she said.

Using Singapore as an example, Dr Aryee said that country was transformed by a strong leadership that placed emphasis on discipline, a situation which transformed that society into a progressive one.

She said this country could be transformed if emphasis was placed on discipline at all levels, adding that the country had an advantage with the abundant resources it had been blessed with.

Dr Aryee emphasised that the primary foundation for discipline was self-respect, respect and the love for institutions and the nation.

She urged the students to learn to play their role as agents of change in society, adding that the values of discipline and self-restraint must be imbibed at an early age.

“The country needs people who will harness their collective intellect for the greater good of the nation,” she said.

The Headmistress of the school, Mrs Beatrice Adom, said attaining discipline among students was a shared responsibility for both parents and teachers and urged parents to ensure that they instilled discipline in the students.

“It is a matter of regret that far from being supportive of the teacher in the quest to instil discipline, some parents express open disapproval of any attempt by the teacher to ensure discipline in the child,” she said.

The way forward, she said, was for parents and teachers to co-operate to build and ensure discipline in the child, adding that without cooperation the child would not be well trained.