FAITH AND THE RIGHT TO HEALTH AND LIFE OF A CITIZEN (The Case of Children)

Section 79(1), (b) of the Criminal Offences Act of 1960 (Act 29) states that "A parent is under duty to give access to the necessities of health and life to the child who is not of age and capacity as to be able to obtain those basic necessities".

This is what the law stipulates when it comes to the issue of children having a right to health and invariably life. To think that some person(s) or organisation(s) would want to deny the child, who has the potential of being a great leader in some capacity in this sovereign nation, this right is abominable, criminal and should not be tolerated as stated in the Criminal Offences Act of 1960 and should be treated as such.

Of particular concern to this article is the belief of the Jehovah Witness-- that they are not to accept blood transfusion of any kind-- and how it truncates life of persons belonging to that faith who find themselves in a situation where they need blood to live. Of even greater concern is the child who has no say in the decision to live or die in such a situation. As per the Act stated above, parents are to serve as facilitators for children in accessing health care and all that leads to their right to life. I believe we should all be given the opportunity to choose between life and death. It is not the duty of parents to decide whether their wards would live or die based on a trivial decision such as that of blood transfusion. That, my friends, would be a shame to what we are fighting for in this world, that is, progress.

I am not schooled in the doctrines of the Jehovah Witness, hence, I can't write about how they came to the decision of not accepting blood that can save their lives. I don't really have a problem with adults choosing not to continue their "miserable" lives, no, not all. I have no empathy for such people. However, when these 'MISERABLE' parents want to make that decision for their wards because they are unable to do so for themselves because of the limitations placed on them under the constitution and Legislative Acts, then I have a huge problem.

It is important that we preserve life. God, the creator of the universe (as believed by most, myself included) is a major proponent of preserving life. I also believe strongly that God approves of methods developed by mankind to save lives medically. That is to say, God is biggest fan of technological advancement. After all, he did say, he created us in his image. Thus we have his nature (in this case, the ability to save lives). To think that an organisation like the Jehovah Witness don't believe in this philosophy baffles me a lot. This is because they profess belief in this same God I talk about. Albeit their different approach to the philosophy of God and all about him; essentially, one fact is explicit, they do believe on One God, the creator of the universe and the giver of life. Are they trying to tell us that this God, the one who blessed us with this gift of medicine and the knowledge to advance it, is foolish for giving us such a precious gift to preserve the human race?

The time has come for society (you and I), to take a firm stand on this issue. No parents in this sovereign state has the audacity to deny a child the right to health and life; especially when there are ways and means of preserving that life. This is a call to duty to all responsible agencies (child welfare, law enforcement agencies, the family and the government) to take the bull by the horn and crush such primitive and immature beliefs in the name of God.

WE SHOULD BOLDLY SET THE RECORDS STRAIGHT ON THIS ISSUE, SO THAT THOSE WHO BELONG TO THIS ORGANISATION ( JEHOVAH WITNESS; NO OFFENSE INTENDED) BECOME INFORMED THAT AS FAR AS THEY LIVE IN THIS COUNTRY AND CALL THEMSELVES GHANAIANS, THEY ARE SUBJECT TO THE LAWS ENSHRINED IN THE CONSTITUTION AND THE LEGISLATIVE ACTS OF THIS COUNTRY.

ESTABLISHING THE MOTIVATION BEHIND TEACHERS' UPGRADING THEMSELVES AND HOW IT SHOULD IMPACT STUDENTS PERFORMANCE IN SCHOOLS (PAR

Before any person decides to take certain action(s), there would have been the need to assess the cost/benefits of such action(s). When this is done, there will also be the need to find convincing reason(s) (motivation) to carry out such action(s). Whenever we talk about students performance and the role of teachers of this country, there is the need to think in this respect too.

Once again, the tardiness with which the government and people of this nation are dealing with the problems and challenges within the educational system has been questioned. From what I am gathering, there is an urgent need to overhaul the system 'pronto' if this nation is to have a future. Over the past decade, I have witnessed a number of certificate teachers going to upgrade their qualifications to degree equivalents. The dichotomy of this situation (teachers upgrading themselves while students performance keeps plummeting) demands that we pay heed to the core motivation for such actions. Why are teachers upgrading themselves and why are students not benefiting from these upgrades?

BETTER WAGES/SALARIES

Firstly, the thought of better wages/salaries is enough a reason to encourage most people to upgrade themselves. For teachers, speculation of an introduction of the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS) was the final signal/reason to do so. This is because the rumours that surrounded the introduction of the SSSS meant that those with higher qualifications were going to receive better salaries or wages (the truth is this statement is not of particular importance to this write-up). I am certain that a detailed research into this matter will reveal that the desire to live in comfort is of particular importance to 'these teachers' and the last thing on their mind is how to ensure that the students are performing well (this is not in any downplaying the importance some teachers associate with quality education). However, priority demands that they take care of themselves first before they cater for others (students).

JOB SECURITY

To continue, I will like to believe that job security rather than student performance is another reason why there has been a surge in teachers upgrading themselves. The challenge we face in these times demands that one first thinks of how to establish a regular cash flow. It is crucial and pertinent for survival in a nation where living standards are becoming more expensive and the need for wealth is placed so high on the 'must achieve list' that it is causing some to even kill (not that this is new). The elderly who have been in the profession fear that young graduates will take over their jobs and they might have to answer to them. The thought of reporting to persons old enough to be their sons and daughters is encouraging most them to go to school to cement their positions in their jobs. This can also be associated with the burden of taking care of, in most cases large family sizes.

Finally, to put the dichotomy into perspective, there is the need to understand the dilemma associated with seeking better wages and having a secured job in relation to working on how to better student performance in our schools. The former is a necessary but not a sufficient condition to realizing the latter. If our teachers do not have the pleasure of knowing in their hearts, beyond all reasonable doubts, that their job is good enough to let them live the Ghanaian dream, then our students will continue to be at the point of loss, in terms of knowledge and wisdom. Thus, the poor performance we are witnessing over and over again in the BECE and WASSCE examinations. It will not be far fetched to surmise that there is a positive correlation between teachers upgrading themselves and how it impacts on students performance, however, this feat can only be seen in the long term when "the personal aspect" with regards to the motivation mentioned above" have materialized. Until then, we can keep praying and hoping that teachers, out of the goodness of their hearts, will heed to the call to produce great minds who are capable of leading this great nation of ours to the paradise we crave for so much.

AND HE SPOKE

Thirty-two (32) years down the line The Honorable Ex-President Rawlings still screams out to be an ardent and passionate adherent to the principle of 'probity and accountability.' Reading about what ensued on June 4, 2011 in Kumasi has filled my heart with such amusement. No wonder the nation is always agog when HE PLANS TO SPEAK. Does not being at the helm of affairs agitate him so much? I strongly believe he misses those days when he could order people around. Those days that the sound of his name spoke fear to the hearts of some and merry to others.

The reason for the success of the June 4 Revolution in 1979 was because the general populace were tired of the stench of corruption that had infested the nation. The whooping support enjoyed by the Flt. Lt. Rawlings and AFRC at the time was partially because of his charisma and what he promised to rid the country off (corruption perpetuated by SMC II). I will say that after this all this while, one thing still seems to be intact, he is full of charisma. However, he is cowardly, not in words, but in action.

After ruling the country for 19 years, the ex-president covered his tracks with an indemnity clause in the constitution of the country. What kind of coward preaches probity and accountability and hides behind an indemnity clause. Any time I hear him speak of corruption my heart becomes filled with laughter. Haven't we all heard about the Mabey and Johnson case? If the ex-president feels that some members of the erstwhile NPP government are guilty of corruption and he has evidence, it is his duty as a citizen of this beloved country to report such crimes and show evidence. May be he wants a vendetta for his wife. Sorry Jerry, not this time.

Wanted to write more but I THINK THIS IS ABOUT ENOUGH. LISTENING TO HIS SPEEC H AND I AM STILL AMUSED. HAHAHAA I LOVE HIS CHARISMA.

COULD IT BE A CURSE FOR POSTERITY?

I should warn that the content of this particular message might be apposite for some due to its subjective nature. However, I encourage all to read with an open mind. Thank you.

Before the 1992 Constitution, the people of this nation were officially regarded as a 'Christian' nation. However, this status changed to 'secular' when the Constitution became active. Needless to say, a secular nation does not imply we allow all mannerisms to take shape in this nation. It is true that we all have the right to liberty and association. Nonetheless, we cannot, as a traditional and a conservative nation, allow certain rights to override national or public interest. One of the numerous national interest (traditional Ghanaian and Christian expectation) is to encourage 'married' persons to bring forth a new generation that will continue to develop this nation and bring it to its place of glory. Conversely, the practice of HOMOSEXUALITY defeats this very purpose.

Homosexuality is ominous to the institution of marriage, as defined in traditional Ghanaian and Christian terms. It defeats the very purpose of continuity in human affairs and that to me is a 'no'. As a developing nation, we need to concentrate on behaviors and practices that promote continuity of the affairs of man (affairs here depicts economic affairs). Common sense tells us that, same sex practices will not in any way aid us in achieving this objective.

One might ask, "Do you have something against people who are homosexuals?" Well, the answer is definitely a no; on the other hand, I do have something against the practice. I believe those who are into this practice have the ability to change because human beings are dynamic. We should never hate on such persons; however, the act they engage in should never be encouraged or promoted. I am in no way suggesting that they be ostracized and looked down upon. That is derogatory and discriminatory. I rather propose that Love, encouragement and care (here there is the need to establish rehabs in the country for those who want to change from this practice) should be constantly shown to those who find themselves in such mishap to enable them get back to fulfilling their procreation duties as stipulated by the laws of nature.

God said we should procreate and Homosexuality does not support this cause. The institution of marriage has a pertinent goal, that is, procreation. Society is on the brink of destruction if this menace is not dealt with. We need to make this a national agenda and deal with the problem. Persecution, ostracizing, lynching, hurling insults and making derogatory remarks are not the best ways to deal with this issue. The sensitive nature of this issue demands that care and caution be exercised at all levels to address the problem efficiently and effectively.

AU, "THE POWER BLOCK OF THE WORLD", LET US CELEBRATE

Many of those who will read this will find the title of this discourse to be an attempted derision of AU's influence in Africa and the world. However, I will like us to know that this is not the point I am trying to put across. I am not trying to mock the successes chopped by AU on such an august occasion in it's existence, neither am I trying to doubt the capability and competence of the people running the ORGANIZATION. This is just a simple reflection of AUs influence in Africa, then we can talk about the world.

During the first quarter of the year (2011), the Continent (Africa) has witnessed an eruption of happenings; from the South, the black people in SA being given the opportunity to create wealth for themselves, to the North, Sudan divided into two distinct nations, garnished by the Egyptian and Libyan Revolutions; while the West has seen Gbabo's government ousted, just like some great dictators who have had their empires taken away from them by the governed (of course these were all by kind courtesy of our special friends from 'outside'). I am proud to say that the AU watched all the proceedings of these events on CNN, Al Jazeera and BBC. While they waited for our 'friends' to say something (I can hear somebody say watching it on TV is safer).

There is a wind of change blowing over the continent, yet I see no change with heart of the continent as I choose to call them. Perhaps, the Assembly of Head of States deem it a time for sober reflection when they see the fellow colleagues losing their seat of government to alleged hooligans. As the Akan proverb puts it, "WHEN YOU SEE YOUR FRIEND'S BEARD ON FIRE, FETCH SOME WATER AND PUT IT BY YOUR SIDE." All I heard from the AU was what they were going to do, that they never did (this is why we have our friends from 'outside'). The denotative implications of the name African Union is a "United States of Africa". So that we can experience continental growth (using Regional blocks like EU and NATO examples. We all know why we cannot talk about ECOWAS in this regard)

Nine (9) years after its establishment, I am yet to see or hear the Union stamping its authority in the Continent (Please let us not even think about the world yet when we have not been able to deal with our own backyard issues). To me, I do not see anything worth celebrating when I cannot foresee Africa uniting under one voice any time soon. We have numerous disjointed interests in the various blocks in the Continent: Southern countries fighting for independence withing the country itself, we have 'rulers for life' meting out human rights abuses, we have those who are trying to establish an independent country, free from Western influence (here, we are talking about religious interests as well) and we also have those who are trying to spend a common currency. The AU was here on this Continent and it took France, Britain, North America and Nato (our beloved friends from outside) to fight our battles for us. Just look at how powerful we are. I am amazed at the AMOUNT of 'power' adorning us.

Some may argue, "but they have been contributing troops to all these warfare." Well, when was the last time you heard about the 'great rescue orchestrated by AU troops', or ' you heard someone scream, "OMG! I did not know that AU had such fine soldiers, look at how expediently they dealt with the Libyan, or better still, the Ivory Coast issue'. When was the last time you were dazzled by the contributions of AU in the world. Yet we cause financial loss to our State by declaring 'AU DAY' as a holiday in this country. It is appalling! (At least for now till there is something worth celebrating)

I am not belittling humble begins, but I believe the reason why OAU was dissolved was because we needed a formidable International Institution run by Africans for Africa. One that could exert force and make things happen to change the fate of Africa with respect to the world affairs. What I see, read, and continually hear, concerning the Continent and the Institution that represents it in the world is laughable. Nobody really cares about AU or what they say; if they did, we would also get a permanent seat in the UN, then I would have agreed that our voice mattered somewhat. The reason this is so is simple: African Leaders can hardly speak out against each other because they are all brothers and sisters lying in the same bed. Ghana cannot, and should not, be a part of this 'no show'. We should have better things to celebrate in this country. WE DON'T WANT CELEBRATIONS THAT CAUSE FINANCIAL LOSS TO THE STATE. So this is my little homily for the incumbent President.

To the next President of the Nation, (since there are talks of changing the Yutong bus driver), please, spare the country the cost and burden of celebrating an empty Institution. However, let us keep believing that tomorrow, the ant will tell the lions, lie on their back and they will have no choice than to do so. Let us not celebrate AFRICAN UNION when all I see around me is 50 something countries pursuing their own agenda. I rather we celebrate 'Africa Unbecoming' day; at least, that sounds meaningful.
P.S. : AU, PLEASE WAKE UP, LET US FEEL YOUR PRESENCE IN THE CONTINENT!

NATURE VS. NURTURE: LESSONS FROM THE PAST (IN THE GHANAIAN CONTEXT)

I believe that many of us have heard of this famous argument in relation to character formation. I have been wondering about this issue for quite some time in relation to the attitudes of Ghanaians. Any time I talk to my parents, they remind me of how things have turned out for the worse in the country, in this era of technological advancement. Their argument is based on the fact that during their time Ghana was clean, people were hardworking and kind, respectful and purposeful. They claim in that era, citizens had respect for authority and trusted the decisions of the heads of communities (chiefs); albeit this argument has its pitfalls, the epitome of the argument holds to some extent in the 'traditional' Ghanaian setting (Here traditional refers to years before technological advancement). So where did we falter?

During 'their time', some of the systems they talk about was the "saman saman," free and quality education, free and quality healthcare and the use of 'stools' to settle dispute (stool here represent the authority of chiefs and in delegated terms family heads). Whenever I hear them speak of the 'good old days', I ask myself, what was good about those days? Those days were without personal computers, laptops, palmtops, internet, touch-screens, HDTV, cellular/mobile technology, fast cars, etc., the list can go on and on. Despite all these, I still find meaning in their statement. If so, then the big question is, 'WHY HAVEN'T THEY TAUGHT THEIR CHILDREN ABOUT THE THINGS THAT MADE THEIR DAYS GOOD?

If we consider this argument from the Nurture point of view, then I would expect parents to teach their children the values that they hold dear; that is, the values that made their days good. This is because when children are born they come to this world "tabula rasa" (with a clean slate with respect to the mind). It is through socialization that they learn mannerisms and character. FROM THIS I CAN INFER THAT IF CHILDREN FAIL TO ACQUIRE THE CHARACTER OR ATTITUDES THAT IS DEEMED APPROPRIATE BY SOCIETY IT IS BECAUSE THE FIRST POINT OF CONTACT FOR SOCIALIZATION (THE FAMILY) FAILED TO DO THEIR JOB. With this said, we have the appropriate basis to consider the nature argument.

Now those arguing from the nature perspective posit that we learn from our environment. That is, the things we see around us form our attitudes. Hence, a person who grows up in an environment where s/he has to fight for survival de facto develops an aggressive attitude towards life. Those who grow up in an environment filled with dirt might never see anything wrong with engaging in activities the compound the problem. From this, I deduce that BECAUSE THE CURRENT ENVIRONMENT IN THE COUNTRY ENCOURAGES MEDIOCRITY AND THE TENACITY NOT TO DO RIGHT (PER THE STANDARD), THE NATION IS FALLING APART GRADUALLY.

CONCLUSION
The Nature and Nurture arguments provides us with two best alternatives to deal with societal problems; in this regard, the Ghanaian problem.
One is by focusing on those institutions that nurture our character and attitudes. Here we are talking of family, educational institutions, social groups and religious denominations. These institutions right from the start should teach and encourage its members to be respectful, disciplined, persevering, and purposeful. It should be the job of these institutions to encourage nationalism and the pursuit of excellence. Nothing short of this standard should be encouraged. This is not to imply that we should overly destroy ourselves in the quest for perfection. The balance must be kept.

The other solution is by focusing on the environment. Here , the government must focus on strengthening those institutions that are crucial to the nation's development. Public sector institutions like Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Ministry of Water, Works and Housing, Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Internal Revenue Service, now Ghana Revenue Authority, Ministry of Education, and the Court system, especially, must be elevated to world acceptable standards

The point I am trying to make is this, as the nation pursues a better Ghana agenda, which I believe should be 'the best Ghana' agenda, we should not encourage the culture of mediocrity and 'substandardness' if that is a word. The pursuit of perfection should also not lead us to ostracize and reject those who are slow to catch up. Rather, with love and encouragement, we should keep motivating ourselves till we all get there. WE SHOULD FOREVER SAY NO TO MEDIOCRITY! This is the way to change the saying of our parents, they should say, this era is the best era to live in, not the 'olden days'.

PUBLIC SCHOOL EDUCATION IN GHANA: THE BETTER GHANA AGENDA

Today while I was listening to the 6:00pm news on Joy fm, I heard news that spurred my friend and I into a heated argument about the Education system in Ghana once again. This time around the emphasis was on Public School Education. Before we delve into what transpired between us, let me first summarize what the news was about.

The crux of the matter was this, class 3 pupils interviewed by a Joy reporter couldn't read a passage given to them by their teacher. At first, when we were listening we thought it was one of those funny interviews where people who were not eloquent in the Queen's language were interviewed for the sake of humor. I should say, without under scoring the importance of this write-up, it was hilarious. The language (English) spoken by these pupils was a complete sham. Their inability to read a simple passage which might seem innocuous to some, actually points the direction of Public School Education in Ghana. Based on this , I must assert that the future for this country is quite gloomy; especially with respect to public education if this is a true representation of public school education. However, I vehemently refuse (being very subjective) to believe that the voices we heard (in statistics referred to as sample) was a true representation of results for public school education (population) in our beloved country.

The heart of the problem as we were trying to discern is based on the following premise.

1. The blue print for our education system is faulty, especially when we talk about implementation

2. To say the system is faulty is in itself wrong because there is no system to look to now, we must go back to the past before we can get things right.

I believe I should let the world know that I went to a public school. I should also state that before class 3, I could read and write excellently (where excellent here does not imply perfection). Now back to the topic at stake, common sense tells us that the premise chosen for this argument are both right. However, the purpose of this text is to determine which is more appealing and significant for the dispensation we find ourselves in. It should be noted that the full consequences of the two premise will not be fully be addressed in this write-up. However, an overview to clarify the two premise will be given and then the problems identified as the cause of the demise of public school education is also stated and explained briefly.

The argument for the first premise is derived from the notion that the blueprint for Ghana's educational system is superb; however, the problem with the system lies in the way and manner things are carried out (implementation challenges). This is because governments over the years has been toying with the educational system in Ghana. The ushering in of new governments spells out a different direction for the education system in the country. If we study the educational history in Ghana since the time of independence, we will actually find that it has changed significantly over the years (some positive, others negative). If we are to draw a picture for this, we will get a 'roller-coaster' diagram.

The next argument based on the second premise is that we do not have a curriculum for education now (where now denotes this current dispensation we find ourselves in Ghana); we are still in the experimental stage and there is no focal point to what should be studied in the country. The curriculum keeps changing and changing. The nadir of all these changes is the failure of the changes to capture the 'peculiar' educational needs of the 'cloud' generation (which inevitably implies we are flying blind) and that we should go back to the past and review what made education unique in those days. This is to find a solution to poor public education for the "Cloud" generation. Without a properly structured blueprint, we have no means of ever having a better educational system and invariably, a better Ghana. One may ask, why are facing all these troubles? Well, I will try and point out a few observations over the years.

One, we can associate the demise of Public Education to the quality of teachers produced from some of our Teacher Training Colleges. The last time I visited my village, I found reasons that entrenched my position on the issue of never enrolling my children in a public school. This is not only in my village, even when I was in primary school (in Takoradi), I witnessed the abysmal display of mediocrity among some of the ''Teacher College' trained interns in my school. The sad part of all my ranting is this, some of these people are still in classrooms teaching our future leaders. To me, a teacher who cannot display competence in the main language of instruction (English) should be further trained or booted out from the profession to find another job. The fact that we have to meet MDGs does not necessitate Ghana Education Service (GES) to fill our classrooms with 'empty barrels'. The reason why some of these kids speak horrendous English and are unable to read is because the teachers teaching them cannot do so themselves. I wonder what the outcome would have been if the teacher was rather given a passage to read from. In short, you cannot give what you don't have.

Another problem I have observed is the pursuit of goals and objectives set by Bretton Woods institutions as I alluded in meeting MDGs. Most of the time because of the conditions incorporated into grants and loans from such institutions, the country sometimes hurriedly pursues programs that might not cause the economy to burgeon (in terms of best practice and quality assurance), although these programs are relevant.

The third problem is the lack of 'local content'. Local content in this regard refers to a tailored Ghanaian education based on the demands, needs and the challenges we face in our Ghanaian economy. This country can never develop if it keeps using books produced and designed for foreign economies. Never, our chase for development will be but a continuous mirage if we continue in that path. Ghana is a sovereign nation, located in a particular demography, with citizens who have peculiar orientation, characteristics and features. Until we have been able to capture the essence and spirit of the Ghanaian in our curriculum we will never progress from this stage of under development. This particular situation is of uttermost worry to me because as an economics student, every example and textbook I read was in relation to foreign economies. Four years of studies in a university in Ghana and I am well versed in the American economy than my own. I believe we get the picture. So how do we deal with these problems?

The answer to this question is quite straight forward: we have to deal with the problems mentioned above by pursuing policies that strengthen our institutions, getting the implementation right in the process of course, ensuring that the human resource in that field (education) are enhanced to the best attainable level and ensuring that the curriculum we design for our schools are able to capture the essence and spirit of the Ghanaian and the Ghanaian.

This to me is the way forward. In my opinion this country's economy can perform marvelously only if institutions are strengthened. Ghana Education Service can carry out its duties 'distinctively' if it is strengthened logistically, infrastructural-wise and in terms of the quality of its human resource. This is the only way forward.

CONCLUSION

In the end, I should say the premise for this write-up (1. The blue print for our education system is faulty, especially when we talk about implementation

2. To say the system is faulty is in itself wrong because there is no system to look to now, we must go back to the past before we can get things right.) are both relevant to this dispensation if we are going to revolutionize Public Education services. It is a combination of the solutions to these two problems stated as our premise that has the potential of changing the phase of Public Education in Ghana.