Central Region Schools hold Festival of Arts

Cape Coast, July 10, GNA - Second Cycle Schools in the Central Region last Friday held their annual Festival of Arts on the theme "Indiscipline and Intolerance, a Challenge to our Culture" at Cape Coast.

The participating schools grouped into five zones made up of 10-13 schools each exhibited talents in dancing, drama, drum language, poetry recital, sight reading and choral music.

An exhibition of art works, handicrafts and domestic science was mounted.

Zone one made up of Abrem Agona, Academy of Christ the King, Mfantseman and Aggrey Memorial Zion Secondary Schools, was adjudged the overall best.

It was first in choral music, the exhibition, sight-reading, dancing, drama and was presented with a trophy and a plaque. The trophy for drum language and poetry recital went to Zone four made up of Winneba, Apam, Senya and Gomoa Senior Secondary and Technical schools.

Mr Nkunu Akyea, Executive Secretary of the Ghana Heritage Conservation Trust International, addressing the participants, deplored the increasing acts of indiscipline and intolerance in the country, and attributed them to breakdown in traditional values. He said some acts of indiscipline were, lackadaisical attitudes towards work, the wanton destruction of the environment and bad behaviour by the youth.

Mr Akyea therefore, appealed to Ghanaians to strive to help address the situation, and called for the reintroduction of cultural values, that inculcated discipline among the citizenry in the past, "but have been discarded".

Nana Amba Eyiaba, Krontihemaa of Oguaa Traditional Area, and Deputy Central Regional Director of Education, said culture and society were dynamic and therefore, stressed the need to ensure that the youth upheld cultural values and not adopt foreign culture.