Bagbin warns parents against young kids schooling abroad

Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has cautioned Ghanaian parents against sending their children abroad for education at an early age, warning that the practice weakens family bonds and erodes patriotism.

Speaking at the launch of the National Integrity Awards Scheme at the D.F. Annan Auditorium in Parliament on Monday, July 27, Speaker Bagbin urged parents to allow their children to complete their basic and secondary education in Ghana before considering overseas studies at the postgraduate level.

According to the Speaker, children who spend their formative years in Ghana are more likely to develop a strong sense of national identity and maintain meaningful ties with their families.

“Many of you who rush your children abroad to study, I beg you, you don’t love your children because you know you are going to lose them,” he said.

Alban Bagbin argued that students who leave Ghana only after attaining maturity – particularly for master’s or doctoral programmes – are more likely to return home after completing their studies.

“It’s when they study here and get to a stage of maturity, and they want to advance, and they are going to do a Master’s, PhD, and that kind of thing, then you have hope that they will come back,” he stated.

The Speaker also expressed concern that children relocated abroad at a very young age often lose their connection with their families and homeland.

“Those you carry as babies and send there, they don’t even come to your funeral. It’s true. They don’t know you. They don’t have any attachment. They don’t like your country. There’s no patriotism there. They don’t know what a family is,” he said.

He appealed to parents to reconsider the practice, urging them instead to focus on nurturing their children’s character and love for Ghana before exposing them to opportunities overseas.

“Please, I beg you, let’s change our ways,” Alban Bagbin said.

 

Integrity awards scheme launched

The remarks were made during the launch of the National Integrity Awards Scheme, an initiative established under Alban Bagbin’s leadership to recognise individuals and institutions that uphold ethical conduct, transparency and accountability in public life.

The scheme, themed “Promoting Integrity, Celebrating Ethical Leadership and Inspiring National Development,” will confer awards in nine categories covering the Executive, Parliament, Judiciary, security services, public service institutions, local government, the private sector, civil society and whistle-blowers.

A special “Vulture Award” will also be introduced to draw attention to conduct that undermines national integrity and encourage public accountability.

Speaker Bagbin described integrity as indispensable to nation-building, saying: “We cannot only condemn corruption; we must also honour integrity. We cannot only punish wrongdoing; we must also celebrate rightfulness.”

The awards committee is chaired by retired Supreme Court Justice William Atuguba, who assured the public that the selection process would be fair and transparent.

The launch was attended by representatives from the Presidency, the Chief Justice, Ministers of State, Members of Parliament, traditional leaders and the diplomatic corps.