By Laudia Sawer
Tema, Oct. 18, GNA – It is very important for schools to provide children with practical experience in the electoral process to prepare them to exercise their voting rights when they grow up, Mr. Edusei Derkyi, Board Chairman of Angel Specialist School International (ASSI), has stated.
Mr. Derkyi explained that children are the future leaders, politicians, and electorate; therefore, providing them with experience would put them in a better position to make informed decisions as adults.
He said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) when pupils of the school, located at Tema Community 12, elected prefects and engaged in sports exercises.
He stated that such civic education must be part of the core curriculum, adding however that schools could use it as part of their co-curricular activities to provide the children with the experience even though it is currently not part of their academic lessons.
Mr. Derkyi said: “Our future politicians and electorate are these people, so if you begin early with them, they will grow up having the right mindset about elections.
“Before today, which is the election day, they pasted campaign posters, engaged their mates on their manifestos, and just like what happens on the national scene, they have campaign managers who canvassed votes for them.
“We want them to know what is good and what should not be done in politics.”
The ASSI Board Chairman called on the electorates and politicians to emulate the patriotism of the students who campaigned and voted without any incident or misunderstanding.
“Election is not war; the children showed that; you will realise that after the voting, they are jubilated for the winner even though they may not have voted for the person.
“The adults must learn from them. We all can’t have the same ideas, but we just have to agree to accept the decision of the majority after the election and work together to develop Ghana,” he emphasised.
Mr. George Kwesi Dzarkpasu, a teacher who doubled as the internal electoral commissioner, working together with the Tema Metro Office of the Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC), guided the children to vote just as it is done in a national general election.
Mr. Dzarkpasu explained that 355 voters from the primary department cast their ballots to elect seven prefects from 28 contestants, while 200 students from the secondary department also voted to elect seven prefects out of 21 contestants.
He expressed joy at the smooth and peaceful process, reiterating that elections are about the exchange of ideas, not war.
“Every election is just a process that will end; winners will take up the responsibility, while losers should support and reflect on their losses and try again next time,” he said.
Miss Ewurabena Darkua Ayiah, the school perfect- elect for the Primary Level, expressed her gratitude to mates and promised to fulfil her promises made during the campaign period.
She said that she will solicit for funds from corporate bodies to provide chairs for the worship to ease the burden on pupils from the carrying of desks from their classrooms to the dining hall during worship hours, adding that she would ensure that the school’s awards night programme would be reintroduced in a more exciting way.
Miss Ella Owusu, the school prefect elect for the Secondary Level, gave the assurance that she would use the position to tackle challenges students were confronted with.
GNA