DCOP Robert Ayalingo
THE BRONG Ahafo Regional Police Command has directed all Junior High School (JHS) graduates in the region who just finished writing their Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) to stay away from attending any outdoor funfairs in commemoration of their completion of the BECE examinations.
Most event organisers in the region, especially in the regional capital, Sunyani, have earmarked this weekend to organise outdoor funfairs dubbed, “Leavers’ Jams” for the fresh JHS graduates.
However, a press release issued on Wednesday, June 26, 2013, and signed by the Regional Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Christopher
Tawiah, said the Regional Police Command has received information that certain individuals or groups of persons within the Sunyani Municipality and some parts of the region were planning to organize leavers jams for BECE graduates to mark the completion of BECE examination.
“The Command by this notice wishes to advise the Junior School leavers, parents and guardians of these students to disregard such intended outdoor programmes whatsoever,” the statement noted.
According to the Regional Police Command, “These organized programmes after Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) induces the youth to engage in immoral behaviour such as casual sex, drunkenness, drug abuse and other related crimes that are consequential.”
The Regional Police Command has therefore advised parents to keep their wards from attending such programmes, as they are not beneficial to their upbringing.
In a related development, the Sunyani West District Assembly at its First Ordinary Meeting of the Third Session of the Third Assembly on Thursday passed a resolution to officially ban the JHS graduates from holding leavers’ jams in any part the district.
The District Chief Executive (DCE), Agnes Kusi, in her sessional address called on parents to ensure that the lives of their children are protected.
“It has been observed that the youth of today take delight in organizing jams dubbed “Leavers’ Jams” to commemorate their completion of BECE examination. We have also observed that the practice is eating negatively into the moral fabric of these children.
“It is thus proposed that within the Sunyani West District, all such jams will be replaced with thanksgiving services throughout the Districtwhen our children complete Junior High School,” the DCE stated.
Her report was finally adopted by the Assembly after members lamented about the negative impacts that the leaver jams were having on the basic school leavers.
According to the Presiding Member of the Assembly, Nana Kwaku Asante Nketia, a report has shown that three months after such leavers’ jams, a lot of teenage pregnancies are recorded among the girls, while some of the boys learn to smoke, drink and engage in all manner of vices.
FROM Fred Tettey Alarti-Amoako, Sunyani