Chief of Staff Julius Debrah has urged school authorities to end the practice of using farming and weeding as punishment for students, stressing that such measures undermine efforts to build positive attitudes towards agriculture.
Speaking on behalf of President John Dramani Mahama at the launch of the government’s School Farm Initiative, Debrah emphasized that farming should be seen as a venture of dignity, innovation, and entrepreneurship, not a form of retribution.
He explained that the initiative is designed to transform schools into centres of agricultural innovation while encouraging students to view farming as a competitive and rewarding enterprise.
The School Farm Initiative, a flagship programme under the Presidential Initiative on Agriculture and Agribusiness (PIAA), was launched in collaboration with the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) and other key stakeholders.
It seeks to make schools hubs of agricultural training, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
Beyond education, the initiative also aims to address broader national challenges, including reducing food import dependence and improving food security.
At a consultative meeting, Julius Debrah reiterated his call for schools to abandon farming and weeding as disciplinary measures, noting that such practices risk discouraging students from appreciating agriculture.
For his part, Dr. Peter Boamah Otokunor, Director of the Presidential Initiative on Agriculture and Agribusiness, said the School Farm Initiative would not only promote agronomic practices among students but also save the government between GH¢840 million and GH¢1.4 billion spent on school feeding.
By transforming schools into dynamic centres for agricultural learning and production, the initiative holds the promise of reversing Ghana’s growing reliance on food imports.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
