The Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, has called for a conscious national effort to protect pupils and students against the abuse of the Internet and other communication technologies. He said the misuse of the Internet, mobile phones and television presented a danger that exposed children to cybercrime, pornographic materials and even destructive relationships. “Our children are our most valuable assets but vulnerable members of our society, hence protecting them against the misuse of the Internet should be our utmost priority,” Mr Ampofo stated. Speaking at the 20th anniversary and speech and prize-giving day of the Akim Asafo Senior High School in the Eastern Region on Saturday, Mr Ofosu-Ampofo said: “Today, the Internet and mobile phones have become more enemies than friends to our children”. The event, held on the theme: “Quality Education—The Role of Stakeholders”, was used to honour hardworking students and teaching and non-teaching staff of the school. The occasion was also used to recognise the immense contributions of Mr Ofosu-Ampofo to the progress of the school over the years. The minister said while the use of the Internet opened endless access to useful educative material and information, its abuse presented a phenomenal risk to the development of pupils and students in the country. He, therefore, appealed to parents and school authorities to exercise maximum control over the use of such technologies by students and pupils to ensure their productive use. On education, Mr Ofosu-Ampofo said, the government had invested huge resources in providing school buildings in a bid to make quality education more accessible to all Ghanaian children. “Today, the Eastern Region and other regions across the country have seen unprecedented infrastructure development in both rural and urban areas,” he stated. He commended the headmistress and the teaching staff of the school, as well as the community, for their commitment to the development of the school, which, he said, had become one of the best in the Eastern Region. On behalf of the government, Mr Ofosu-Ampofo donated GH¢10,000 for the rehabilitation of the school’s mechanised borehole and other facilities. The Deputy Director-General of the Ghana Education Service, Mr Charles Aheto Tsegah, urged students to disabuse their minds of the perception that some schools were better than others. “Every student has the potential to excel to the highest point in life regardless of which school he or she finds himself,” he said, and advised students to make use of the learning environment to study hard. The headmistress of the school, Mrs Joyce Esi Adom, said students presented for the 2010/2011 West African Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) had 100 per cent passes in nine out of the 14 subjects they wrote. “For the first time in the history of this school, 98 per cent of our students had A1s in chains,” she proudly stated and commended old students and the teachers for such success.