Editorial
Inter-hall clashes: Hooliganism, mindless youthful exuberance
Dear Editor,
About two weeks ago, I expressed concern over the conduct of some final year senior high school students and how they tended to misbehave when they were about departing the school after writing their papers.
Just when I concluded my thoughts and submissions on the matter and insisted that the wayward students be tamed, I heard of the clashes at the University of Ghana, Legon between students of Commonwealth and Mensah Sarbah halls.
The cause was not immediately known but we were told a number of students were injured as police personnel moved in swiftly to calm the tension. Before the dust settled on the Legon episode, some students of Katanga and Continental halls at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) also decided to attack one another during their Hall Week celebrations.
The disturbance at KNUST on Thursday, August 18, 2022, reportedly left three vehicles damaged and about 12 people injured. Authorities at Legon and KNUST have since condemned and resolved to investigate and bring the masterminds of the disturbances to book.
While we wait patiently for the outcome of the investigations, I cannot agree more with the leadership of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) when it issued a statement saying such “needless clashes” were getting out of control and would “undermine academic peace and freedom.”
I am at a loss as to how some students in tertiary institutions choose to show their ‘might’ by engaging in acts of violence when their compatriots elsewhere are using the same time and energy productively.
I believe clashes of this nature are archaic and retrogressive and it is time student leadership and university management found permanent solutions and upgraded punitive measures for these condemnable and recurring clashes. The hooliganism and ‘mindless’ youthful exuberance must end!
Prince Kwateng Amanfo,
Prampram, Greater Accra.
Dear Editor,
Over the past few months, the ages of some drivers of commercial vehicles continue to baffle me.
This is common during weekends when one boards any of the commercial vehicles – be it trotros and okada.
I remember, I boarded a taxi from the Accra Central area towards the Kwame Nkrumah Circle area. When I sat in the vehicle, I realised the driver was a young boy. Specifically, he said he was 18.
I know our laws do not permit youth under the age of 21 to be driving; that is clearly against Ghana’s Road Traffic laws for operating commercial vehicles.
Some commuters have even had confrontations with station masters over the issue and have refused to board vehicles driven by underage individuals, despite the risk of arriving late for work.
This situation is deeply disturbing because it puts the lives of passengers and other road users at risk.
No matter how skilled such drivers may be, allowing underage persons to operate commercial vehicles is wrong and unlawful. Laws governing road safety are meant to protect lives, and ignoring them only increases the chances of accidents and loss of lives.
I therefore urge the relevant authorities, especially the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority, to strictly enforce the age requirements for commercial driving in the country.
Baba
Labadi
The advantages of focusing on girls have been evident over the years. However, current research indicates that the statistics pertaining to boys are still declining.
Approximately 69 percent of boys and 73 percent of girls finish primary school. While Senior High School (SHS) enrollment trends have lately changed, with females significantly outnumbering males (about 110 girls to every 100 boys), Junior High School (JHS) gender parity remains stable, with the Gender Parity Index (GPI) remaining between 1.00 and 1.03.
The Gender Parity Index (GPI) indicates parity between girls and boys.
Although encouraging education for girls is essential for Ghana’s development, the strong emphasis has unintentionally led to inequalities for boys.
Many stakeholders worry that affirmative action and unequal resource distribution put males at risk, which can occasionally lead to increased dropout rates and behavioural issues in specific neighbourhoods.
There has been a lot of discussion among Ghanaian sociologists and educators about the disproportionate support given to girls and how it affects boys.
They claim that the majority of scholarships and special facilities are frequently disproportionately given to girls, which boy child advocates contend makes young men feel ignored or disadvantaged.
Due to these differences, Apostle Professor Kwabena Agyapong-Kodua, Vice Chancellor of Pentecost University, has voiced serious concerns and is pushing for a deliberate discussion about the education and development of boys in order to build stronger families and societies.
The statement was made by Apostle Prof. Agyapong-Kodua during a seminar hosted by the Church of Pentecost Schools Outreach Ministry in Accra on May 16, which is International Day of the Boy Child.
It was organised in association with the Pentecost Men’s Ministry and the Ghana Education Service (GES) under the theme “Flourish and Thrive: Investing and Unleashing Boys for Strong Families and Communities.”
Apostle Prof. Agyapong-Kodua revealed that many young males are vulnerable due to inadequate mentoring, a decline in schooling, negative social media influences, and emotional neglect.
Additionally, he stated that the boy child faced numerous difficulties, including aggression, substance addiction, academic decline, emotional neglect, and the lack of strong role models, as a result of the focus shifting to the girl child.
He worries that since boys are essential to the development of the country, they should not be overlooked in discussions about leadership, education, family stability, and national reform.
The Spectator agrees with Apostle Prof. Agyapong-Kodua and believes that while it is important to train girls, neglecting boys can impede social advancement by causing differences in behaviour and education between young men and women.
“If we don’t make an effort social media will train our children for us. We’re not saying they shouldn’t use social media, but we should help them get the information they need to succeed in life,” he said.
The Spectator believes that the GES would adopt gender-responsive education in order to guarantee that classroom instruction meets the requirements of both boys and girls equally.
Let’s continue to be dedicated to making sure that no child is left behind.
