North Tongu MP and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has called for a fundamental rethink of Ghana’s education priorities, arguing that too much attention is placed on rigid religious rules and superficial measures of discipline rather than the values and ethics that shape national development.
Speaking at PRESEC–Legon’s 87th Speech and Prize-Giving Day, Ablakwa said the debate over school regulations often misses the true crisis facing the nation.
“Instead of focusing on how strict religious doctrines are enforced in our schools and the weird correlation between short hair and disciplined students, it is time to ponder the real issues,” he stated.
He questioned why the country continues to produce graduates who engage in acts that harm the state, the environment, and national progress.
“Why is our educational system producing graduates who criminally create thousands of ghosts to fleece the state when real human beings are looking for jobs?” he asked.
Ablakwa also raised concern about graduates who contribute to environmental destruction, particularly through illegal mining and pollution of water bodies.
“Why is our educational system producing graduates who would destroy our environment, pollute our river bodies, and create a public health crisis for the rest of us?” he added.
Beyond environmental and economic misconduct, the MP said the ethical foundations of leadership must come under scrutiny.
“Why is our educational system producing graduates who lack ethical leadership? Why is it producing ludocratic graduates who want so much for themselves and don’t care about the country they lead or the generations coming after them?” Ablakwa stressed.
