Ransford Antwi, the Board Chairman of Twene Amanfo SHS
Mr Ransford Antwi, the Board Chairman of Twene Amanfo Senior High/Technical School (TASTECH) in Sunyani has urged students to desist from indulging in the use of abusive words and offensive languages to express their displeasure about situations.
He expressed worry that using impolite words and expressions on social media by some young people to inform authorities about their dissatisfaction was becoming the order of the day but that was contrary to the Ghanaian child upbringing.
Mr Antwi, also the Chief Executive Officer for Suncity Radio, a local FM Station gave the advice when he was addressing first-year students at a day’s orientation programme organised by the TASTEC old students association in collaboration with the School’s Board of Directors and Management in Sunyani.
The program dubbed “SHS One Time with Past Students” enabled the old students to share their life experiences with the newly-admitted students to positively shape their attitudes towards learning and lifestyle generally whilst in the school.
It was also to welcome the students to the TASTEC ‘Adehyee Abusua’ (Royals’ Family) and to inculcate in them virtues of self-discipline, patriotism, respect for authority, socially acceptable and unacceptable practices to transform and reform them to become law-abiding citizens and responsible future leaders.
Mr. Antwi said though one had the freedom to express one’s concern about a situation that did not mean one could insult the elderly because the Ghanaian cultural, traditional norms, and values did not permit such behaviour.
He, therefore, urged the students to avoid engaging in all forms of indiscipline and other social vices and be highly focused on academic work as the primary goal of their enrolment in the school.
“The individual is responsible for his/her own decisions, so the choice of friends you make should tell you where you are heading towards in your academic journey and life”, Mr. Antwi stated.
He further advised the students to see the teaching and non-teaching staff as their parents, guardians, big brothers, and advisors and willingly share the challenges with them for solutions to make use of the counseling unit of the school.
“Learn to embrace people from other backgrounds, respect and tolerate others view, be modest but not fake and be kind to each other because your classmate today may become your employer one day”, Mr. Antwi added.
Lawyer Ansah Ankomah, a Board member and Sunyani-based private legal practitioner entreated the teaching staff in particular not to discourage the students in any way but to guide and help them to make them better people in the future.