Deputy Minister for Education Dr. Clement Abas Apaak has called on parents, particularly mothers, to take greater responsibility for addressing indiscipline among children, saying schools cannot tackle the problem without support from the home.
“Discipline cannot be enforced by schools alone. It begins at home,” Dr. Apaak said, urging parents to reinforce values of respect, responsibility, honesty and accountability in their children.
Speaking as guest speaker at the 2026 MomCo Conference in Accra on Saturday, August 22, Dr. Apaak said mothers should be treated as critical partners in efforts to build disciplined, inclusive and academically prepared learners.
He called on MomCo groups across Ghana to work with schools and communities to address indiscipline and promote positive values among young people.
The Deputy Minister said the government also wants to deepen collaboration with MomCo Ghana, including exploring ways to connect the organisation’s community leaders with district-level Guidance and Counselling Coordinators and Special Education Officers.
He said the Ministry of Education was prepared to share relevant materials on inclusive education, adolescent health, mother-tongue literacy and positive, non-violent discipline with MomCo networks.
Beyond discipline, Dr. Apaak described mothers as “the child’s first teacher,” saying their involvement is particularly important in early childhood education, literacy, nutrition, positive parenting and preparing children for school.
He said the Ministry was intensifying efforts to strengthen early childhood and lower-primary education through the use of Ghanaian languages.
Dr. Apaak therefore encouraged mothers to speak, read and tell stories to their children in their mother tongue, explaining that the use of a child’s first language provides a foundation for literacy and cognitive development rather than hindering learning.
He also identified mothers as important partners in advancing inclusive education, particularly in tackling stigma against children with disabilities and special learning needs.
According to him, mothers who are properly informed and supported are better positioned to advocate for their children’s right to education and prevent them from being excluded because of disabilities or learning challenges.
Dr. Apaak also linked the empowerment of mothers to efforts to promote gender equality.
He said empowered mothers are better positioned to keep girls in school, encourage them to pursue leadership and professional opportunities, and raise boys who respect women.
The Deputy Minister praised MomCo Ghana for expanding to more than 150 groups with over 3,000 mothers across the country, which he said makes Ghana the organisation’s largest community outside the United States.
He described MomCo’s activities as extending beyond a church-based programme to contributing to education and national development.
“Behind every child who reaches their full potential is usually a mother who refused to give up on them,” Dr. Apaak said.
He assured mothers that the government recognises their contribution to education and national development and urged them to remain active partners in shaping the lives of their children.
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