National Museum urged to collaborate with other institutions

Accra, May 19, GNA - The Ghana Museum and Monuments Board (GMMB) was on Friday urged to collaborate with other institutions, especially those in education to awaken the interest of school children to preserve and protect their national cultural heritage.

Madam Elizabeth Oduro Mensah, Head of Guidance and Counseling, Sub-Metro Education Office, Accra District, said museums were very essential tools for teaching and learning and the earlier the museum management liaise with stakeholders in the educational sector the better it would be for the development of the youth and their perception about museums.

She was speaking on the topic: "Museums; A tool for Teaching and Learning" at a lecture organized by the GMMB as part of activities to mark this year's International Museums' Day Celebration on the theme: "Museum and Younger People".

The GMMB declared a month-long museum activities, which would be climaxed with exhibitions on May 26 at the premises of the Ghana National Museum in Accra.

She also called on the management to make the premises more attractive by erecting monuments of personalities and other antiques to attract more people to the museum.

"Collections should be well preserved to avoid deterioration and brochures should be at vantage points for people who cannot spend enough time at the museum to enable them to take something with them to their homes or institutions," she advised.

Dr. Boni Yao Gebe, Lecturer, Centre for International Affairs (LECIA), University of Ghana Legon, speaking on the topic: " Contemporary International Relations and the Youth - Preserving National Cultural Heritage" called on religious organisations, National Culture and Civic Education and GNCC to step up civic education among their populace to regenerate good morality. He said the mass media and the entire public also had the greatest chance of reshaping the cultural heritage in Ghana and called on all to join hands with the GMMB in preserving the national cultural heritage and monuments.

Dr Gebe suggested that opportunity should be made available to individual members of parliament who felt more comfortable using the local language to do so on the floor of the House to enhance effective debate and deliberations.

He said facilities must be provided, in this regard, to facilitate the use of local languages in the business transactions of Parliament. The Lecturer also urged the elderly to assist the youth to develop a particular interest in the local languages and persuade others to use it as well, adding "that was the sure way to promote, preserve and safeguard our cultural heritage."

Other participants stressed the need for the government to well equip the education department of the museum to enable them to function properly.