By Edward Williams
Kpando (V/R), Sept. 25, GNA – Dr Harrison Kofi Belley, Lecturer at the Evangelical Presbyterian (E.P.) University College, says the best pillar for any sound or developed country was good early childhood education.
That level of education required that teachers and parents took full cognisance of ongoing generational transformation and prepared the children to deal with the challenges of the future, he said.
Dr Belley, speaking at the sixth graduation ceremony of the Missahoe Montessori School at Kpando, noted that parents and teachers, although they had a role to impart knowledge to their children, must be mindful that every generation was faced with its own challenges.
“Early education must aim primarily at developing the child’s mind so we must start teaching children how to think and what to think,” he said.
He said studies into academic performance of children who had received a montessori education showed that they had higher levels of academic achievement and outperformed those who did not.
The freedom within the montessori environment allowed children to learn from their mistakes, foster resilience and a positive mindset.
In addition to academic and creative abilities, emotional intelligence was vital for success in personal and emotional skills, Dr Belley said.
Madam Florence Mawusi Dotse, the Proprietress of Missahoe Montessori School, said despite the many challenges, the graduand’s unwavering commitment to excellence had brought them thus far.
The school had always recorded a hundred percent pass for the past six years in the Basic Education Certificate Examination.
She said education was not only confined to the classroom but extended beyond textbooks and exams, encompassing personal development and the shaping of character, values and ethics.
Madam Dotse said the importance of practical and social skills could not be underrated in an increasingly connected world.
The ceremony was on the theme: “Focus on Academic Excellence, Personal Development, Social Skills and Practical Skills.”
GNA