'Reject it. Resist it. Report it': NCCE takes anti-corruption message to Tema school
The Tema Metropolitan Directorate of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), in partnership with the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC), has organised a forum for learners at First Star Academy in Tema to sensitise them to the negative impact of corruption.
The programme, which formed part of this year’s International Anti-Corruption Day activities, focused on helping young learners understand what corruption is, why it is harmful and how they can play a role in preventing it.
The event was supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, the European Union and the Hewlett Foundation.
Speaking at the forum, the Tema Metropolitan Director of the NCCE, Gifty Agyeiwaa Badu, explained that the main objective of this year’s celebration was to sensitise and empower young people to become honest and responsible citizens.
Ms Badu said children were the future leaders of Ghana and it was therefore important to instil good values in them at an early age.
She expressed the view that when young people are taught the difference between right and wrong early in life, they grow up with strong principles that guide their behaviour.
During the programme, the NCCE team engaged the pupils in discussions on common forms of corruption that children could easily relate to.
These included cheating in examinations, stealing, falsifying grades, and teachers or students giving special favours in exchange for marks.
Ms Badu explained that although such actions might appear minor, they all amounted to corruption because they involved dishonesty and unfairness.
She stressed that a child who cheats today could grow up to accept more serious corrupt acts in the future if the right values were not instilled early.
To help the learners remember the lessons, the NCCE introduced a simple slogan, “Reject it. Resist it. Report it.”
She said the message was meant to encourage children not to accept or participate in dishonest behaviour, but to resist corruption and report it to a trusted adult such as a teacher, parent or school authority.
Ms Badu encouraged the learners to apply the slogan whenever they were faced with difficult situations in school or in their communities.
She reminded the pupils that choosing to do the right thing today would help them grow into honest and responsible adults who could contribute to building a better Ghana.
As part of the celebration, the organisers presented souvenirs, including pens and T-shirts, to the learners, with inscriptions promoting patriotism and love for the country.
