Founder and President of Angel Group of Companies, Dr. Kwaku Oteng, has counseled Ghanaian students to prioritize commitment to their studies while aspiring for greater heights in the future.
He noted that taking academics seriously, coupled with humility, is significant in shaping the foundation of greatness.
“….So children should learn very hard in their studies and also learn to respect, who knows, one of you can become the president of this country, and what I have to tell the teachers is that they should also teach the children very well as children are more adherence to their teachers, so teachers, teach the children very well, this is the little I have to say,” he charged in his advice.
The business mogul offered this advice to students of the Angel Educational Complex in Kumasi over the weekend during the institution’s celebration of its 20th-anniversary ceremony.
Dr. Oteng highlighted the milestone of the institution’s operationalization in the Kumasi metropolis and underscored the impact of teachers in this achievement over two decades.
“Today is a special day as we celebrate a major victory of 20 years since our school opened its doors. Actually, it’s 21 years if I look back to our humble beginnings. We thank God for bringing us together.
“I extend my heartfelt gratitude to our dedicated teaching staff, who have shown commitment and courage despite the challenges of inadequate teaching equipment. God bless you all, I truly appreciate your efforts. I would like to extend my gratitude to all the parents and guardians present, as well as to the children in this school. To the students, I encourage you all to be obedient to your teachers, as they play important role in shaping your lives,” he observed.
Dr. Kwaku Oteng highlighted the challenges teachers face, emphasizing the responsibility of parents and guardians in ensuring children become the best they can be while under their care in school.
“We acknowledge that as children enter their teenage years, especially around 18 years old, it can become difficult challenges for parents to discipline them. However, if you observe the training and guidance provided by both parents and teachers, you will notice a significant difference. In many cases, teachers go above and beyond what some parents do,” he stressed.
On her part, the daughter of the celebrated businessman and entrepreneur, who doubles as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) for Angel Group of Companies, Francisca Oteng, called on the government to be strategic in its decision-making to include private schools in the Free SHS policy introduced by the past government.
“Education is key to going far in life, and I believe the free SHS initiative introduced by former President Nana Addo was a great concept. However, the challenge lies in the private sector, particularly with senior high schools, as there are no cut-off points, allowing most students to gain admission into government schools. These schools have better facilities and staff, so we’re calling on the government to provide some support to level the playing field.”
She observed that if the government could support private institutions, it would help boost the employment rate in the country.
“Running a school is not easy, salary, utility bills, school feeding and fuel prices, government alone can not take the responsibilities, the government should create avenues for entrepreneurs to also teach them, the more they teach them the more they employ more people into their institutions, so unemployment is something we were hoping to hear from the government so that such challenges can be solved,” the former Member of Parliament (MP) for Kwabre East Constituency stated.
