Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, has said it was important for the youth to give meaning to the huge amount of financial, logistical and human resource being put at their disposal by the government by taking their studies seriously and eschewing laziness and bad habits.
He said the government was putting a lot of premium on investment in education because it believes that the return was invaluable and also serves as the backbone of sustainable development of the country.
Mr Ofosu-Ampofo added that the government over the period had implemented policies that had positively promoted quality teaching and learning from the basic to the tertiary level with special attention at the Basic and Senior High School (SHS) level.
He was speaking at the 55th Anniversary Ceremony and Speech and Prize-Giving Day of the Pope John SHS and Minor Seminary (POJOSS) in Koforidua, under the theme "Education, the greatest treasure for the Ghanaian youth."
Mr Ofosu-Ampofo observed that government in recent budget statement for 2012, emphasized infrastructure development as key growth and employment generation.
"Quality education is therefore crucial to providing the needed infrastructure for socio-economic development of our people", he added.
Mr Ofosu-Ampofo said as a country, Ghana treasured assets is its human resources adding "Growth and sustenance depends largely on the development of its human population through the provision of quality education".
"We have a strong belief that quality education constitutes the single most important factor that has the potential to lead us to global competitiveness, progress and prosperity", he added.

Mr Ofosu-Ampofo said it was in that regard, government as part of the "Better Ghana Agenda" was committed to providing quality education to every institution of learning in order to produce the needed skills required to propel the development of the country to the highest level.
He said government was therefore focusing on areas like increasing access to and participation in education and training at all levels, bridging gender gaps to education, improving quality teaching and learning and improving efficiency in the delivery of education services.
It was also focusing in areas like the promotion of science and technology at all levels with particular attention to the increase in the participation of girls and enhancing infrastructure development at all levels in education.
Mr Ofosu-Ampofo said government was committed to strengthening and continuing the provision of capitation grant, free uniforms, free exercise books and tuition for teachers, replacing schools under trees and revamping collapsed science resource centres.
He said in the Eastern Region alone, government invested a total amount of GHC 71,981,452.32 in the construction of 563 educational infrastructures for the period between 2009 and June 2012.
"I am happy to note that POJOSS has had its fair share of the cake and therefore has benefited from the provision of a six unit classroom block and a two- storey dormitory", Mr Ofosu-Ampofo added.
Mr Isaac Lawer Odenteh, Headmaster of the school, appealed to government to provide them with a vehicle and also a standard science laboratory.
Isaac Baah, School Prefect, on his part appealed to government, corporate organizations and philanthropists to provide them with a power plant to limit the time being wasted during the load shedding period.