The President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Most Reverend Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, has called on the government to integrate character formation and moral education into Ghana’s formal education system, warning that academic knowledge without strong values may fail to contribute meaningfully to national development.
He said the country’s education system appeared to place greater emphasis on academic achievement at the expense of values such as honesty, hard work, respect, patriotism and volunteerism.
Most Rev. Gyamfi made the call at the launch of the 50th anniversary celebration of Sacred Heart Senior High Technical School (SAHESS) at Nsuatre in the Sunyani West municipality of the Bono region, where he stressed the need to complement academic instruction with deliberate efforts to shape the character of students.
Using a machine manual as an analogy, he explained that academic knowledge provides individuals with the skills and competencies they need, while character formation teaches them how to apply that knowledge responsibly for the benefit of society.
He argued that Ghana’s development challenges could not be addressed through academic qualifications alone, insisting that education must also prepare young people to become responsible, ethical and productive citizens.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference President noted that although Ghana had made significant progress in expanding access to education, insufficient attention was being paid to systematically teaching values in schools.
He therefore urged the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service to develop and institutionalise a framework of core national values to be taught at all levels of education, from nursery to university.
According to him, values such as honesty, cleanliness, hard work, respect for authority, respect for others and patriotism must be deliberately taught if they are to become part of the national character.
Most Rev. Gyamfi expressed concern about the growing use of insults and verbal abuse in public discourse, particularly among some politicians, arguing that the conduct of educated individuals raises questions about the effectiveness of character formation within the education system.
He maintained that respect and responsible communication should be integral to the education of every Ghanaian, regardless of academic qualifications or social status.
He further urged the government to seize the opportunity presented by the country’s expanded access to education to shape a new generation of citizens whose conduct reflects values cherished by society.
“Don’t expect to reap where you have not sown,” he cautioned, emphasising that positive character traits would not develop consistently unless they were taught through deliberate, systematic and sustained efforts.
He described the proposed approach as “positive indoctrination,” explaining that it would involve intentionally instilling values that promote the welfare of individuals and society as a whole.
Most Rev. Gyamfi stressed that while investment in educational infrastructure and academic delivery remained important, the ultimate measure of education should also include its contribution to building responsible citizens and a morally conscious society.
By Claude Kumi Abisa
