A program to foster national cohesion, in the wake of the highly polarized nature of the Ghanaian society, based on Old-Student solidarity dubbed: Old-Student Profile has been launched by the Deputy Minister of Education, Hon. Samuel Okudjeto Ablakwa under the Distinguished Patronage of Daasebre Prof (Emeritus) Oti Boateng in Accra.
This came with a call on Ghanaians to embrace old-students associations as a vehicle for national cohesion and Development.
The Old-Student profile is a weekly 30-Minute TV Program being hosted by Kafui Dey which profiles selected successful Old-Student personalities across all spheres of societal leadership as Candidates of their schools for interviews to stimulate Healthy competition towards determining the Old-School/Old-Student Association of the Month was launched under the theme: Bridging the bond between old-students and schools as key partners in school & National development.
The first batch of Old-students who have been profiled as candidates of their schools on the programme include: Prof Agyeman Badu Akosa, former Director-General, Ghana Health Services, K.B Asante retired Diplomat, Rev. Dr. Lawrence Tetteh, international Evangelist and Mrs Zita Okaikoi former Minister for Information.
In a speech to formally unveil the program Daasebre said, the old-student network is the most singular enduring network of opportunities and comradeship that come only next to blood relations. He said, the old school solidarity is the bedrock of the Nation-state of Ghana. According to him, the fact that the Old-School Communication Culture defies age, religion, class, ethnicity and politics suggest that it remains the most important institution to be harnessed to neutralize the highly polarized nature of the Ghanaian society along political and ethnic lines to bring back the pride of nationalism based on Old-Student solidarity. He urged policy, media and corporate stakeholders to support the initiative as a rallying point not only to build nation , but also to mobilize support for educational development using the conduit of old-school-old-student relationship as a collective moral obligation to the society. In his presentation, Nyaaba-Aweeba Azongo, the consultant to the Old-Student profile indicated that the Old-Student Profile is part of the Shop-List of initiatives being designed under the flagship Old-School Family Project to promote national cohesion, support for education ,networking and school mentorship programmes with the view to building a strong bond between Old-Students and their schools. According to Mr. Azongo, The OLD-STUDENT PROFILE initiative is the first intervention to set the basis for nationwide consciousness and Fund mobilization to Roll-Out a nationwide flagship project to bring the institution of Old-Student into the mainstream of educational funding in the country to determine old-student role in Educational Development and National Cohesion to promote socio-Economic Development.
He stated that a Governing Council for the flagship project would be constituted under the Distinguished Patronage of Daasebre Prof Emeritus Oti Boateng with key institutional representations including the Ministry of Education, Civil Society and Corporate partners’ with selected eminent personalities’ to promote the project in the country.
Source: GhanaWeb
