Deputy Registrar (General Administration) of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi Mr. Daniel Kumi-Djan has called for Ghana’s education system to place greater emphasis on ethical values alongside academic excellence.
Speaking at the 9th Graduation Ceremony of the ERICOM School of Excellence at Asuofia near Kumasi, Mr. Kumi-Djan, who addressed the theme “Education Without Values: The Main Cause of an Indisciplined Workforce in Ghana,” said education remains a powerful driver of national progress but is incomplete without the cultivation of moral principles such as honesty, accountability and patriotism.
“An educated mind without a moral conscience is a danger to society,” Mr. Kumi-Djan said. “If Ghana’s education system continues to produce people who know what is right but lack the will or values to do it, we will continue to recycle indiscipline in our homes, offices and institutions.”
He said highly educated individuals often hold positions of responsibility but still face persistent issues such as corruption, lateness and misappropriation of funds.
“Knowledge alone is not enough; character matters. Many professionals are competent in theory but lack the ethical compass to serve with integrity,” he said.
Kumi-Djan criticised the current educational approach for prioritising grades, certificates and technical skills at the expense of moral development. “When values are sidelined, we produce qualified but morally bankrupt individuals,” he said.
On the impact of this trend, he said: “An indisciplined workforce undermines productivity and service delivery. In many public institutions, workers report late, close early, or attend to personal business during official hours. Others engage in fraud, nepotism and outright neglect of duty. These are not mere administrative lapses but moral failures rooted in a value-starved education system.”
Kumi-Djan called for reform to integrate values education, covering ethics, civic duties and citizenship, into the curriculum from basic school to tertiary level. “Teachers should be trained not only to teach academic subjects but also to model truthfulness, punctuality and discipline,” he said.
He urged national leaders in politics, business and academia to lead by example. “Values are taught as much by example as by instruction,” he said. “Our leaders must walk the talk.”
On workplace ethics, he said institutions must reward discipline and sanction misconduct without fear or favour, warning against protecting wrongdoers because of personal or political connections. “Such practices entrench mediocrity and stall national progress,” he said.
Citing examples from Japan, Singapore and Rwanda, he said development depends not only on technology and education but also on values such as discipline, respect for time and commitment to the common good.
He concluded that Ghana can achieve similar progress if it nurtures a generation of citizens who are not only intellectually capable but also ethically grounded.
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