The District Director of Education for Talensi, Christiana Ayinezoya Azure, has expressed deep concern over what she describes as a growing crisis in child upbringing and discipline within the Talensi District and across the country.
Speaking during an interview on A1 Radio, Madam Azure highlighted the increasing difficulty parents face in controlling their children, attributing the situation to broader systemic and societal issues. She noted that the traditional values of respect and discipline among the youth appear to be eroding, with many children showing little regard for authority or elders—a stark contrast to previous generations.
A significant factor contributing to the problem, she observed, is the rise in illegal mining activities, commonly referred to as galamsey. According to her, some children now engage in these activities and earn their own money, making them financially independent of their parents at a very young age. This financial autonomy undermines parental authority, as some children are now able to provide for themselves and even flaunt their earnings at home.
Many parents, particularly those from low-income households, reportedly feel powerless in the face of this shift. Unable to meet their children’s material needs, they often surrender control, allowing the youth to act as they please. The result is a growing generation that is not only difficult to guide but also increasingly disengaged from education and formal upbringing.
“Some parents have complained that controlling their wards has become an issue because, growing up, they depended on their parents for basic needs. But these days, the children go to the mining pit to do the galamsey. They have their own pocket money, and when you tell them that if they don’t go to school, there will be no food for them, they’ll go and eat better food—like Indomie and whatnot—and bring it home to show off. So, in a way, parents are finding it difficult to control their children because of the galamsey activities,” she said.
Madam Azure believes that without urgent intervention, the current trend could lead to long-term societal challenges, especially in communities where galamsey is prevalent. She urged parents across the country to deeply reflect on the root causes of these changes in behavior.
“It’s something that I think, nationally, we need to look at—how to raise our children again—because it appears we have gone astray in terms of discipline or something like that. But something is wrong with the system, I think,” she concluded.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1 MHz|Gifty Eyram Kudiabor|Bolgatanga
