Author: Maame Owusuaa Oppong
The Ghana Culture Forum, a membership-based Civil Society consultative forum that is a network of cultural actors (practitioners and activists) united around a common vision of affirming the cultural foundations of development and enhancing the cultural sector, has held its 12th edition of the Ghana Cultural Day celebration.
To commemorate the celebration, season two of the inter-school debate was organized at the St. Thomas Aquinas Senior High School in Accra.
Under the theme “Culture, Technology and Current trends, making the youth the center of transformation.”
The creative director of the Digital Media at Multimedia Group Kwabena Offei-Kwadey Nkrumah well known in the media space as Kobby Spiky when addressing the students advised them not to be ignorant of the delightful Ghanaian culture.
He noted that western life especially in this modern age has covered up so much thus making the Ghanaian culture fade slowly.
According to him, most African countries just to mention a few, Kenya, South Africa, Liberia, Senegal, and Nigeria appreciate the culture of the youth, so Ghanaian youth should embrace it for it signifies originality and identity.
Being an old student of St. Thomas Aquinas Senior High, Kobby Spiky emphasized the need for the students to take their studies seriously and advised to abstain from anything that will disrupt their books.
Speaking exclusively with Amaghana news, the Vice Chair of Ghana Cultural Forum Ahuma Bosco Occansy stated that the idea of the inter-school debate is for the youth to appreciate and learn the essence of the beautiful Ghanaian culture.
He said the key objective of the Ghana Culture Forum is to mainstream Ghanaian culture especially for the youth in this digital age to know Ghanaian origin and learn the identity of being a Ghanaian.
The Director In Charge of Culture at the Ghana Education Service (GES) Miss Benedicta Yevo added her voice that, it’s high time the youth of today used technology to promote the Ghanaian culture since it is a digital age.
Stating categorically, she said, GES is working tirelessly to fuse local languages at basic school for every child to be able to express him/herself in at least 2 local dialects.
According to her, teachers are also being considered to be trained in all Ghanaian language specifics to be able to impact quality knowledge to the pupils. With this, the Ghanaian culture will continue to stay relevant and be appreciated.
Schools involved in the debate were, Accra Girls Senior High, Agbor Senior High, St. Johns Grammer, and St. Thomas Aquinas of which St. Thomas Aquainas emerged the winner by 244.5 points and Accra Girls 241.5 points thus placing them in 2nd position. 3rd was St. Johns Grammer with 240.5 points and Agbor with 219.5 points placing them 4th in the position.
