Prof George K. T. Oduro urges Creator Schools to demonstrate virtues of love, compassion and protection in pursuit of quality education

Prof. George K. T. Oduru a former Pro Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast and an Educational Leadership Scholar, has encouraged Creator Schools to allow the tenets of love to be their hallmark in all their dealings.

Prof. George K. T. Oduru intimated that Creator Schools’ ability to achieve the milestone of 40 years connotes the school’s resilience. Undoubtedly, the journey has been full of challenges characterized by socioeconomic challenges, competitor disruptive exploits, internal factional undermining ploys and many other hope-dumping experiences.

Delivering his speech as the Guest Speaker on Saturday, January 27, 2024, on the theme: ’40 years of sustained quality education through hard work and perseverance”, the Educational Leadership Scholar emphasised that for Creator Schools to be able to manage these thorns to achieve 40 years of existence requires “perseverance, focus, resilience, transformative orientation, self-discipline and visionary leadership motivated by love and commitment”, he stated.

The former Pro VC of UCC avered that it is not surprising that the 40th Anniversary is globally christened as Ruby Jubilee symbolized by love, commitment, protection, prosperity and courage. “For Creator Schools, a private enterprise, to survive
40 years of socio-economic and competitive challenges and remaining very glued to issues of quality teaching and learning, I can only fathom that Creator Schools was built on a solid foundation with a sustained transformative vision”, he orated to the applause from the audience.

According to him, having been associated with Creator Schools for the past 15 years and witnessing the monumental infrastructural improvements over the years, “I therefore congratulate the Schools’ Governing Board, the Managing Director, the Headmaster, Staff and students for sustaining the dream that the Founder, Rev. Comfort Adjarko had for the school 40 years ago”, stated he.

Prof. G. K. T. Oduro drew the attention of the managers of the school to the fact that the future of any society rests largely on the values that are inculcated in its young people in their formative years. “When children are taught to cherish the ideals of good moral training, they become responsible and well-mannered adults who have the strength of character to survive in challenging contexts without compromising what is right”, he emphasised.

Prof. George K. T. Oduru quoted a renowned author Lewis to buttress his point, saying ‘Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a clever devil’. Indeed, education develops the heart, the mind, and the hand of the individual for the benefit of himself/herself and the larger society.

“Undeniably, sound moral training based on values sets the foundation for academic excellence because pupils learn to discipline themselves, develop self-confidence and avoid distractions and other unhealthy habits that can derail their focus from studies”, Prof. Oduro outlined.

However, after commending Creator Schools for the feats achieved over the past 40 years, he requested to provoke their thoughts on one question: ‘In the next forty years (2024-2064), will Creator Schools be still seen as a school that upholds quality education that balances the development of the head (intellect), heart (Character) and the hand (skills)?

He adds that he posed this critical question because of the increasingly complex challenges facing pre-tertiary education in our country. In examining this, he avered that there is a worrying development in some schools where the desire to prepare
children for exams is denying children holistic personality development.

“This has compromised ethics and morality in some schools to the extent that nobody finds anything wrong with institutional support for examination malpractices”, he revealed.

Another important challenge the Educational Leadership Scholar touched on was the diminishing national character orientation among young people who go through our school system.

“When we look critically at the lyrics of our national anthem and patriotic songs, we note that communal spirit and nationalism are key indicators of our National Character as Ghanaians. But we currently find ourselves in an environment where
sectional interests largely pivoted around partisan commitment is fast killing our national identity and values”, Prof. Oduro underscored.

Further, he argued that the value of one destiny which binds us together as Ghanaians and the spirit of mutual support are fast diminishing through selfishness, divisive tendencies, corrupt practices, indiscipline and others making systems dysfunctional.

He took the opportunity to remind the current managers to uphold the values of the Founder of Creator Schools. She attached importance to character development because the character in every human endeavour is the pivot around which all other ingredients for the development of human society evolve.

“Indeed, as the 2011 Jakarta Declaration in Indonesia articulates, ‘If wealth is lost, nothing is lost, if health is lost, something is lost but if the character is lost, everything is lost’. To stem this trend, our educational system, particularly at the foundational learning phase, has a critical role to play. In the next 40 years, will graduates of Creator Schools stand out as citizens who did not only excel academically but also distinguished themselves as patriotic citizens, he quizzed again.

The final point he touched on was to encourage the Management of Creator Schools to thrive during the complex challenges facing schools in the country to maintain its uniqueness in providing quality education that balances the development of the head, the heart and the hand for young people.

“Never depart from your blend of academic and character development because the outcome of the blend is what our country needs now. It is also highly commendable that you do not only focus on increasing access to your schools but more importantly prioritize quality education for all”, he reminded the managers of the school.

In conclusion, he urged students, teachers, the headmaster, the Managing Director, the Board of Directors, parents and all other stakeholders to always reflect on the fundamental purpose for which Creator Schools was established as they journey through the next 40 years. “Remember to demonstrate the virtues of love, compassion, and protection in your pursuit of quality education”, he ended.