The Ashanti Regional Director of Education, Mr J.K. Onyinah, has said that the education process in the country should lead to improvement in the quality of life of Ghanaians by empowering the people to overcome poverty and raise their standard of living. He pointed out that no country could afford to neglect the education of her youth, adding that an ignorant society cannot explore and develop its­ natural resources to improve-the living standards of her people. Mr Onyinah was addressing participants at a workshop organised by the Ghana Education Service (GES) to equip teaching and non-teaching staff of the Fomena T.I. Ahmadiyya Senior High School with the requisite values, attitudes and professional acumen to enhance effective and efficient delivery of service. The workshop was also meant to build the capacity of the teaching staff for them to appreciate the value of moulding their students to enable them to become responsible citizens capable of actively supporting sustainable socio-economic development. About 93 participants attended the workshop which was on the theme: "Re-equipping the teacher with the requisite skills, knowledge and attitudes to enhance teaching and learning." He said the workshop was crucial to any successful education delivery and noted that equipping the teacher with the relevant skills and knowledge without moral values and virtues was meaningless. "The quality teacher appreciates the place of moral education in moulding the character of students to become responsible adults," he stated. He explained that such teachers "go beyond their normal roles as teachers to assume the responsibilities of loving and concerned parents> pastors, counsellors, confidants and, friends, who when necessary, appropriately apply the carrot and the stick to keep students in the straight and narrow moral lane." Mr Onyinah stressed that "teachers must, therefore, constantly carry themselves, both at school and in the community as role models, and like Caesar's wife, strive to live above reproach." He said it was equally important for them to appreciate the effects of students' family traits and home environment to be in 'the 'position of critically assessing their social behaviour and academic performances. Mr Onyinah said proficient teachers were those who applied their professional knowledge and skills to create-a psychological environment that made teaching and learning a pleasure and not a drudgery for themselves and their students. This, he said, would make it possible for teachers to create Opportunities that would promote partnership, mutual respect and trust amongst themselves, parents and students. He announced that the GES had initiated a series of programmes to adequately resource and motivate its personnel to acquire more knowledge, upgrade their skills and improve upon their welfare to enable them to perform creditably. The Ashanti Regional Guidance and Counselling Co-ordinator, Mr Joe Koranteng, advised teachers to desist from any intimate relationship with students. He charged them to acquire in-depth knowledge and expertise to enhance effective and efficient delivery, saying this would make it possible for them to win the respect, confidence and trust of their students. He also advised school authorities to hold regular meetings with the staff, students and parents as a way of establishing good human relationships and effective communication system to reduce any suspicion and mistrust. The Headmistress of the school, Miss Zainab Adams, gave the assurance that the school would use such workshops to forge closer links with staff and students to enhance effective development. She explained that organising such workshops would also help to keep them abreast of policies and programmes of the GES and therefore urged the participants to take keen interest in such programmes anytime they attended. Source: Daily Graphic