Participants in the 77th New Year School and Conference have urged the Ministry of Education to launch a national talent hunt programme across schools to identify budding skills in leadership, innovation and entrepreneurship.
That programme, they said, would nurture the human capital to build the “Ghana we want.”
It will also provide a good platform for structured mentorship and training of these capabilities.
These were in a communicaque issued by Professor Simon-Peter Kafui Aheto, Director, 77th Annual New Year School and Conference, of the School of Continuing and Distance Education.
The conference was on the theme: “Building the Ghana We Want Together for Sustainable Development.”
It recommended harnessing youth entrepreneurship and providing the requisite funding, technical training, regulatory compliance and logistical support needed for their success.
It said the social enterprises that young people were already engaged in were indicators of alternative sources of job creation and opportunities, which should be encouraged to effectively address unemployment.
To revitalise Ghanaian sports and take advantage of the opportunities available to the youth in the sports industry, the conference called for the reinstatement of inter-school sports competitions with dedicated time allocated on academic calendars for physical education and sports activities.
“Investments should be made in ultra-modern sports facilities at the community and school levels to encourage participation and talent development,” it said.
The conference recommended the establishment of an independent sports ethics committee to monitor sector governance and eliminate corruption in sports administration.
It recommended the integration of health education into school curricula from early childhood education, with a focus on nutrition, hygiene and preventive healthcare.
Also, community-based health campaigns should be launched to promote good public health.
“To envision the Ghana we want, corruption must be reduced, if not eliminated,” the communique said.
“Currently, many citizens perceive reported economic figures as disconnected from reality. This trust gap requires openness, data transparency and deliberate public engagement.”
The commission called for the prosecution of leaders who violated the law to set a strong example and reinforce public trust in the governance system.
That was important because promoting justice in democracy was vital and required strict adherence to the rule of law and the fair administration of justice to all individuals, it noted.
