Civic education, crucial for national development - Coordinator

Bolgatanga, Nov. 1, GNA - Mrs Fanny Judith Kumah, National Coordinator of "Project Citizen Ghana" has emphasised that the project being implemented by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) in schools was very paramount to national development. Project Citizen Ghana is a civic education programme being taught in some schools across the country and is intended to empower students with the necessary skills and knowledge to participate effectively and qualitatively in Ghana's democracy especially as they grow to become adult citizens.

Mrs Kumah was speaking to the Ghana News Agency at the end of "a Project Citizen Teacher Training Workshop" on the theme; "Towards Effective Implementation of Project Citizen Ghana" at Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region at the weekend.

She said students were taught how to identify problems, gather information, examine other alternatives, propose public policy, develop action plan to policy makers and how to implement their own projects. She explained that under the project, students were taught the spirit of patriotism, nationalism, civility, cooperative learning, critical thinking, problem solving and decision making.

It also taught the students to understand public policy and policy making process and how to monitor and influence public policy.

Mrs Kumah emphasised that it was very crucial for the students to be groomed at the infant level so they would be able to participate effectively in decision making and participate qualitatively in public policy making and decision-making processes of the state. She lamented over the way and manner people used the airwaves to insult others especially attacking the Presidency and said if school children were taught civic education such as the Project Citizen Ghana it would help develop them with civility and spirit of patriotism and nationalism when they grew.

Mrs Kumah indicated that the Project Citizen Ghana, which was started by the NCCE in 2006, was already making a positive impact as students in some schools were influencing decision making processes in their respective institutions.

She cited schools such as Christ the King, Aburi Girls Senior High, and Adisadal College where the students through the development of policies and influencing policy makers had been able to secure some facilities such as school buses and infrastructural development in their institutions.

Participants were taken through public policy, gathering information on the problem, examining alternative policies, proposing a public policy and developing action plan and practical presentation. Mr Peter Mensah, Regional Director of NCCE, entreated the participants to impart the knowledge they acquired to the students so as to be able to groom them to become responsible leaders.

He appealed to school authorities to give room for the teaching of civic education stressing that it would help equip students with the knowledge needed for national development.