Mr Alex Tettey-Enyo, Minister of Education on Wednesday called for national efforts to tackle the intolerant behaviour of the youth which he said was becoming a social canker that must be dealt with.
"We have a collective duty to engage our youth and help them channel their energies into productive ventures."
Mr Tettey-Enyo was speaking at the final workshop for teachers in the Greater Accra Region on the formation of United Nations Education,
Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) clubs for schools in Accra.
The workshop which was on the theme: "Building the defences of peace in the minds of the youth," was attended by teachers and representatives of UNESCO clubs in the Senior Secondary Schools and tertiary institutions.
Mr Tettey-Enyo commended UNESCO for imparting good ideals into the youth and empowering them to identify social problems as well as finding sustainable solutions to those challenges.
He said the programmes initiated by UNESCO to engage the youth in productive ventures were exactly what the government was promoting in
empowering the youth to use their hands and minds in building its "Better Ghana" agenda.
Mr Tettey-Enyo said despite the formation of some UNESCO clubs at the University of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, the University for Development Studies and the Kwadaso Agriculture College, more
should be inaugurated to absorb the teaming youth who were yearning to join.
He challenged the participants attending the workshop to develop a knowledge society that was peaceful, enabling and noble, as well as using
the experiences acquired to build defences of peace in the minds of students.
Mrs Sylvia Lutterodt, Acting Secretary General of the Ghana National Commission of UNESCO said members of the clubs had over the years acquired strong enthusiasm to influence their society by the contributions they make.
She said the values which had stood out among the members include volunteering, peace building and an appreciation of the cultural values of their communities.
She said the Commission had undertaken various training programmes to reach out to schools and learning communities who did not have the clubs.
Mrs Lutterodt said so far more than 120 selected schools in nine out of the 10 regions had formed the clubs indicating that they had proved to be a very useful part of the learning processes in the schools giving credence to
the importance of re-channelling the energies of the youth from engaging in acts that were inimical to their moral upbringing.
She pledged the Commission's support to ensure that the clubs contributed to inculcate the right social behaviour among the students.
"We anticipate that this will contribute to the realisation of the peaceful environment needed for national development," she added.