An Associate Professor of Agricultural Machinery Engineering at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Prof. Emmanuel Y. H. Bobobee, has called for renewed commitment to discipline and academic excellence to safeguard the future of children.
He said education without discipline produced morally weak persons who would not be able to contribute meaningfully to national development.
“Discipline is not the absence of punishment; it is self-control, integrity, and doing the right thing when no one is watching.
Academic excellence, on the other hand, is curiosity, resilience, humility, and applying knowledge for the good of self and society.
These two pillars must go hand in hand,” Prof. Bobobee added.
He was delivering the keynote address at a grand durbar to mark the 64th anniversary and Speech and Prize-giving Day of Sogakofe Senior High School (SOGASCO) last Saturday.
The event doubled as the school’s reunion for alumni and the launch of its 65th anniversary.
Family values
Prof. Bobobee also lamented the decline in family values, blaming weakened parenting for moral decay among the youth.
“A child who never hears ‘no’ at home will hear ‘no’ from life when it’s too late,” he said, urging parents to return to their roles as leaders rather than mere friends of their children.
Prof. Bobobee, who is an alumnus of SOGASCO, also called on teachers to serve as mentors and role models, while administrators provide resources and fair policies, and alumni to give back through mentorship and infrastructural support.
He entreated the government to match the gains of Free SHS with significant investment in infrastructure, saying facilities designed for 300 students decades ago now host nearly 4,000 students.
Commitment
The National President of the Sogakofe Old Students’ Association (SOSA), Steve Dotse, urged alumni to recommit themselves to the development of their alma mater, stressing that what bound them was greater than individual successes.
He said they should support the school through mentorship, innovative ideas, and resource mobilisation to uphold its legacy of excellence.
“Together, let us continue to build a community that celebrates achievement, embraces challenges, and cultivates lifelong friendships,” the president added.
Mr Dotse, a legal practitioner, also reminded the students that they were part of a proud tradition and encouraged them to face challenges with resilience and curiosity.
“There will be moments when you feel overwhelmed or uncertain, but don't let that stop you. Every struggle is an opportunity for growth, and every setback is a lesson in resilience.
Keep pushing forward, whether you're tackling assignments, navigating friendships or planning for your future,” he said.
Infrastructure
In a speech read on his behalf, the Member of Parliament for Ho West, Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to creating an enabling environment for learning.
“The GETFund Board will be meeting to consider new projects, and I am hopeful that SOGASCO will benefit,” he said in the speech read on his behalf by the Chief Executive Officer of FC Perfumery, Grace Amey-Obeng.
For his part, the Headmaster, Newman Dziedzorve, said that although the school’s population had grown to nearly 4,000 students, it lacked adequate infrastructure such as dormitories, washrooms and an assembly hall.
He commended SOSA, the Parent Teacher Association (PTA), and staff contributions so far, while urging the government to complete stalled projects.
