| Today's epistle is directed at modern African | | | | Director-General of the Ghana Education Service |
| youth, especially those who are fortunate tohave | | | | was commended for having taken such drastic |
| acquired some kind of knowledge in the use of | | | | but delicate measure. It was aimed at addressing |
| the tools of Information Communication | | | | the rising technological indiscipline amongst |
| Technology (ICT) and are unfortunately applying | | | | students and pupils, leading to general falling in the |
| such tools for negative purposes. | | | | standard of education in the country. But, as to |
| First of all, they must take note of this profound | | | | whether that prohibition is being carried out to the |
| Tanzanian proverb which says: "If you are taller | | | | letter and spirit in the schools concerned is |
| than your father, it does not necessarily mean | | | | another matter altogether. Nevertheless, the |
| that you are more intelligent than he is!" Another | | | | directive was generally considered to be more |
| Ghanaian proverb advises us that, "If your grand | | | | popular among Ghanaians than elsewhere. Why? |
| mother tells you a story, you don't tell her that | | | | One Saturday November, 2005, this writer |
| you are going to find out from your mother | | | | attended a Parent-Teacher-Association (PTA) |
| whether what the old lady has said is true or | | | | meeting at the Aquinas Secondary School in |
| false." All right! | | | | Accra. At that meeting, the issue of indiscipline |
| Wisdom | | | | among students, truancy, I don't careerism in the |
| Once upon a time, there lived a self-acclaimed | | | | class room, some awkward way of dressing, |
| learned man by the name Prof. Kweku Ananse. | | | | called "otofisher" or something to that effect, and |
| Prof. Kweku Ananse was so full of himself that he | | | | above all, the use or misuse of mobile phones in |
| proclaimed himself the wisest man on the face of | | | | class rooms during lesson times were raised and |
| the earth. In fact, he was fond of hitting his chest | | | | discussed. |
| to boast: "I'm the wisest man on this planet of | | | | As a matter of fact, the Assistant Headmistress |
| ignorance. I'm evenwiser than the Creator who | | | | in charge of administration of that school not only |
| created the universe." | | | | demonstrated but dramatized to us how some |
| Then, in order to preserve his wisdom for himself | | | | students went to school with all kinds of |
| alone, he went and bought a pot made of clay. | | | | sophisticated mobile phones and used them to |
| Because he did not want to share his wisdom | | | | disturb and disrupt classes to the detriment of |
| with anyone else, he put all of his wisdom in the | | | | others. She recalled that since the Ghana |
| pot, closed it and sealed it with cement. Prof. | | | | Education Service's directive banning the use of |
| Kweku Ananse tied a rope around the pot and | | | | mobile phones in secondary schools, she has been |
| hanged it on his own neck. With this strategy, | | | | seizing mobile phones from recalcitrant students |
| Prof. Kweku Ananse was able to carry his pot of | | | | on daily basis. |
| wisdom, dangling on his chest like a gold medal | | | | The respectable Assistant Headmistress lamented |
| from Olympic Games wherever he went. He | | | | that sometimes, when a teacher was very busy |
| never removed his pot from his neck even when | | | | explaining a very difficult subject to students, |
| he was swimming in the river, let alone when he | | | | some "huhudious" music would suddenly emanate |
| was in bed. | | | | from some pockets of one student or another, |
| One day, Prof. Kweku Ananse went to his farm | | | | interrupting the serious teacher's focus and |
| at dawn and said it was not necessary to take | | | | diverting the attention of all students to where |
| water along. "After all, I'm not thirsty now. Why | | | | the notorious sound of the mobile phone was |
| should I carry water on my head for small boys | | | | coming from. |
| to poke fun of me?" he said with pride. Then at | | | | Sometimes, too, while a concerned teacher, who |
| about 12 midday, it dawned on Prof. Kweku | | | | perhaps was yet to receive his/her meager |
| Ananse that he was dying of thirst. He decided to | | | | salary, trying his/her level best to impart all their |
| rush home quickly so as to get some water to | | | | knowledge to their beloved students, some |
| drink. On the way he saw a coconut tree and | | | | students would only take delight in enjoying music |
| said: "Whaaat! I must plug a coconut to quench | | | | on their mobile phones. Some times some |
| my thirst before I proceed." | | | | students would deliberately block their ears with |
| Prof. Kweku Ananse reasoned that, if he left the | | | | ear-phones, and when a teacher asked them a |
| pot on the ground and went on top of | | | | question, they would be sheepishly looking into the |
| The coconut tree, by the time he descended, | | | | teacher's face like a "goat from the Sahara |
| some one might have come to take his pot of | | | | desert." My dear young African brothers and |
| wisdom away. For that matter, he attempted to | | | | sisters of the 21st century, this kind of behaviour |
| climb the coconut tree with his pot in front of him. | | | | or attitude is what I am referring to as |
| As he tried to chest the coconut tree, his hands | | | | NEGATIVE APPLICATION OF |
| could not go round the tree because of the pot | | | | ICT TOOLS. |
| between his chest and the coconut tree. For over | | | | At the PTA meeting in question, when the |
| three hours or so, Prof.Kweku Ananse struggled | | | | Assistant Headmistress told parents that she had |
| and struggled; he was sweating like a pregnant | | | | seized about three mobile phones that very week |
| fish but he could not climb the tree. Eventually, he | | | | and stated emphatically that she would never |
| fainted and collapsed on the ground. The pot was | | | | return them to their owners, the over 300 |
| weighing and balancing on his chest as he lied flat | | | | members present at the meeting supported her |
| on the floor. | | | | action in tow-tow. In fact, most parents and |
| He was gasping for breath. As he was about to | | | | guardians encouraged her to be fearless and |
| die of thirst, a seven -year-old boy by the name | | | | discipline any student who went against the rules |
| Kojo Nyansah appeared on the scene. He was on | | | | and regulations of the school. |
| his way back from school. When he saw the old | | | | Pieces of advice |
| man groaning and dying under his pot of wisdom, | | | | Please be informed that everything in nature has |
| he was filled with compassion for him. Kojo was | | | | its positive and negative sides. So, too, isthe ICT. |
| taught in school that they should have compassion | | | | Depending on how you use the tools of ICT, it |
| for people living with HIV/AIDS. Thus, he said to | | | | may affect your life accordingly. |
| himself: "I must have compassion for this poor | | | | For instance, if you visit any website, you can use |
| man, too." So, the small boy rushed to the rescue | | | | the Internet to learn anything you wantto know |
| of the "Professor". Kojo Nyansah knelt by the | | | | under the sun. You can study e-mathematics, |
| side of Prof. Kweku Ananse and wanted to know | | | | e-technology, e-biology, e-chemistry, e-physics, |
| what was the problem and if he could help. | | | | e-journalism, e-law, e-engineering, e-agriculture, |
| Prof.Kweku Ananse suddenly opened his eyes | | | | e-science, e-business, e-football, e-music, e-boxing, |
| widely and started narrating his ordeal to the small | | | | e-writing, e-drama, e-health, e-life and e-death. |
| boy. He lamented bitterly that he was dying of | | | | Inother words, you can learn from archeology to |
| thirst and pleaded for assistance. | | | | zoology online. All you need to do is to apply any |
| Without wasting time, Kojo Nyansah dipped his | | | | of the search engines like Google and put any |
| hands into his kaki pocket and brought out a | | | | subject you may wantto know about and you |
| mobile phone. He quickly dialed a number "zero, | | | | are there. This aspect of ICT makes it possible |
| zero, zero six times and one" (0000001). That | | | | for you to be in what is termed as "virtual |
| was the Creator of the universe's number. Upon | | | | university". |
| brief communication with the Creator, the boy | | | | But, if you go on the Internet only to use your |
| went back closer to Prof. Kweku Ananse and said | | | | knowledge to steal other people's money by |
| to him politely: "Sir, could you please remove the | | | | hacking into their credit cards like some youth are |
| pot from your chest and put it on your back and | | | | reported to be doing in some countries in Africa |
| try again?" Prof. Kweku Ananse quickly jumped | | | | including Ghana, Nigeria and others, then it is not |
| back on his feet like magic. He did not argue at all. | | | | enough. Others may be doing same on other |
| He behaved like a dying patient in the presence of | | | | continents. But Africans should not copy evil |
| a medical doctor. As soon as he did what the boy | | | | cultures. Again, if you go on the Internet only to |
| told him, he was able to climb the tree, plugged | | | | browse pornographic sites, you are corrupting |
| the coconut, drank the water and survived. | | | | your own moral and ethical integrity and the |
| When Prof. Kweku Ananse fully regained his | | | | effect it may have on you in the future may be |
| energy and power, he removed the pot from his | | | | devastating. |
| neck for the firs time since he hanged it there. He | | | | In 1994 or so BBC Network Africa did a |
| looked at himself, looked at the pot of wisdom on | | | | programme about how the youth in Cameroon |
| the ground and said: "Why should I, a Professor | | | | were using the Cyber Cafes in that country not |
| of wisdom, with my wisdom in my pot, have to | | | | to study anything good online, but to browse |
| take instructions from a tiny boy before I could | | | | pornographic sites. The same thing was happening |
| survive?" He became furious and angry against | | | | in Ghana some time ago. So when you visit some |
| the pot. He kicked the pot with his left leg, raised | | | | Internet -Cafes like the Busy Internet in Accra, a |
| it so high in the air and smashed it on the ground | | | | notice is posted there forbidding people from |
| - "pkoaaa!" It was from that day that no human | | | | browsing pornographic sites. |
| being was allowed to claim monopoly over | | | | Today, the mobile phone has become a very |
| wisdom, except the Creator of the universe. | | | | important ICT tool which is helping any people in |
| I narrated this anecdote to prove to the youth of | | | | their economic activity. In Ghana, for instance, |
| Africa that, it is not also always true thatevery | | | | fishermen are taking mobile phones to sea. While |
| old man or woman has more wisdom than a | | | | fishing, they are at the same time able to |
| younger person. In other words, someone can be | | | | communicate with their chief fishermen at home |
| very young but be more psychically evolved, | | | | to alert them about what situation they are |
| spiritually developed, technologically advanced, and | | | | encountering on the field. They also use the |
| be wiser than some white- bearded and grey- | | | | mobile phones to check the prices of fish at |
| haired octogenarian. | | | | various market places with their agents and |
| ICT tools | | | | customers before they land with their catch. At |
| As a layman, I will not pretend to go into any ICT | | | | least fishermen at Apam and Moree, all in the |
| technicalities. Thus, for purposes of this article, | | | | Central Region of Ghana are putting mobile |
| what I mean by ICT tools in this context are | | | | phones to such profitable use. This is positive and |
| basically some of the equipmentor machines that | | | | constructive application of an ICT tool. |
| are used in communication or in dissemination of | | | | But, if you, the youth who are the future leaders |
| information or in transmission of messages, | | | | are using the mobile phones to block your ears in |
| across the globe, if you like. For example, | | | | the class rooms or listening in to music while your |
| telephone, fax machine, radio, television, film | | | | teacher is teaching you, then what kind of leaders |
| video, computer/Internet with particular reference | | | | will you be tomorrow? If you become a President |
| to mobile phone and the like. | | | | one day, and teachers, doctors, nurses, police |
| In October, 2005 or so, the authorities of the | | | | officers and other workers are on strike, agitating |
| Ghana Education Service in Accra had cause to | | | | for better conditions of service, will you block |
| ban the use of mobile phones by students of | | | | your ears and be enjoying yourselves while your |
| primary and second cycle institutions in the | | | | citizens are on the streets with placards? You can |
| country. Even though some parents and guardians | | | | use the mobile phones in an emergency situation |
| received that announcement with shock and | | | | like the seven-year-old Kojo Nyansah did in the |
| dismay, a lot of concerned people hailed the | | | | story. Therefore, beware of negative application |
| directive as being in the right direction. In fact, the | | | | of ICT tools. |