Rev. Professor Joseph Buertey, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at Pentecost University and Chairman of the Church of Pentecost’s School Outreach Ministry (SOM), has called on young boys to abstain from negative peer influence and deviant behaviours in order to become responsible adults and reach their full potential in life.
Speaking at a special grooming and mentorship programme to commemorate the 2025 International Day of the Boy Child in Ashaiman on Friday, May 16, 2025, Prof. Buertey expressed concern over increasing reports of substance abuse, sexual immorality, and other destructive habits among schoolchildren — some as young as those in primary school.
“We advised them because now children have been engaging in deviant behaviours. Our research revealed that children in basic school, some in Class Five, are taking alcohol and herbal concoctions that destroy their health. Some are even fornicating at this age. If they don’t stop these vices, they won’t become the great people God has destined them to be,” he cautioned.
Also addressing the event, Peter Abledu-Golden, the Greater Accra Regional Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Education Service (GES), reaffirmed Ghana’s longstanding commitment to providing universal education.
Representing the Greater Accra Regional Director of Education, he noted that the country has upheld this mandate since the colonial era, through post-independence reforms, by ratifying key international conventions and enacting robust national legal frameworks.
He referenced the 1992 Constitution and the Children’s Act, 1998 (Act 560), both of which guarantee equal educational opportunities for all children. He emphasised that the GES is committed to ensuring that vulnerable and marginalised boys do not fall through the cracks of the education system.
The event, themed “Unleashing the Boy Child Through Holistic Development,” was organised by the Church of Pentecost’s School Outreach Ministry in collaboration with the Pentecost Men’s Ministry and the GES.
Over 500 pupils participated in the programme, which aimed to provide guidance, mentorship, and practical tools to help boys thrive intellectually, morally, and spiritually.
Apostle Vincent Anane Denteh, National Director of the Pentecost Men’s Ministry, who chaired the event, urged parents to take an active role in their children’s upbringing.
“The main aim is to train the boy child in the way of the Lord and also raise them well to become better people in the country. So, we are advising the parents to help raise the children properly so that they become responsible citizens.”
Pastor Frank Mensah Tandoh, National Coordinator of the School Outreach Ministry, echoed the need for deliberate mentorship efforts targeting boys.
“Much focus has been placed on the girl child — and rightly so — but the boys are lagging behind. Schools and churches must be intentional about mentoring the boy child,” he noted.
Dr. Joshua Oppong Sarfo, Executive Director of the New African Concept, added, “The schools and religious bodies must be intentional when it comes to mentorship.”
AM/KA
