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Review Career Day to capture adolescents – Clinical Psychologist
• Dr Isaac Newman Arthur
Career Day has become one of the prominent events in schools in recent times and takes place even in nursery schools.
A Clinical Psychologist Dr. Isaac Newman Arthur has, however, advised educational institutions to review the age targeted for “Career day” celebrations in schools.
The was originally aimed at creating an opportunity for students to be exposed to careers available to them both locally and internationally on the job market to among others develop their interests.
Dr. Arthur in an interview with The Spectator recently opined that, though the intentions for career day may be good, educational institutions should reconsider it and make the needed changes.
He said this was to ensure that the children derived the full benefit of it, and also saved cost.
Currently, checks at various stores and dress making shops by this reporter revealed that it costs some parents and guardians between GH¢200 and GH¢500 or even more to get the various attires for their children and wards.
Dr. Arthur said the practice currently was losing its relevance to the children as he mentioned that ideally, it should involve adolescents because “they are at the stage of cognitive development where they could understand and meaningfully discuss issues of their own lives and future goals or careers.
He said the adolescence stage was characterised by the development of their own world views, identity and independence and were able to think both logically and scientifically, and beable to discuss issues with some degree of understanding.
“They are likely to benefit more from the Career Day than the small children” he said.
The Clinical Psychologist who is also a Medical Doctor said when Career Day was held for children in lower primary and even kindergarten, apart from the fun it created, the children at that stage may not be able to derive any other benefits from the event.
“ It could be organised for that purpose, but not an opportunity for the children to learn or make career choices at that stage. If the goal of Career day is to help them take decisions about the career, then it would not be beneficial at that stage in their lives” he said.
Dr. Arthur suggested that aside wearing the attires of the various professions, counsellors could be invited to help guide both parents and adolescents on the right career path.
He was of the opinion that pupils who were in the Junior High Schools would be a more effective target because they were on their way to the Senior High Schools where they would need to be assisted on the courses to take at that level of education.
He explained that, at that age, they were most likely to understand the practice and actively participate to derive the full benefit of the purpose of that occasion.
The Clinical Psychologist said children below that age would only see it as fun thereby defeating the purpose of the exercise.
Parents could be saved the costs of organising such programmes.
In an interview with The Spectator, an Accountant, Mr. Patrick Amoah Sarfo said he had been to some schools to talk to some of the children during the event which he believed had made some of them well informed about his profession and that of other community workers who came.
He observed that, the ages of the children had to be seriously considered because some of them especially those in the nursery schools and even in some cases the lower primary did not appreciate the day as compared with those in the upper primary and junior high schools.
He suggested that schools should not make it compulsory for all students to dress in their future career attires because it put a lot of financial burden on parents and could even make some children develop inferiority complex if they were unable to dress as such.
Another parent, a Fashion Designer, Ms Clementine Xorlali Tettey said apart from the excitement it brought to the children, she thought its current form did not make it important.
“ However if modified it will serve a good purpose” she said.
From Dzifa Tetteh Tay, Tema
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Swedru All Blacks back to winning ways, Roshan humble King Faisal
Sekondi Rospak FC made it eight wins in eight successive home games after three second-half goals from John Amoah, Joseph Ntow and Stephen Anthony Kofi. John Amoah opened the scoring in the 55th minute after a barren first half. Joseph Ntow added to the tally in the 56th minute before Stephen Anthony Kofi rounded things up in the 74th minute to give Rospak a 3-0 win over former Premier League side King Faisal.
Elsewhere at Swedru – leaders Swedru All Blacks humbled PAC Academy in an emphatic 2-0 win. Zayat Bubakari scored first for Swedru All Blacks in the 27th minute before Rudolf Junior Nana Kwasi Mensah made it 2-0 in the 34th minute. Swedru All Blacks are top of the table with 36 points – 4 points ahead of second placed Rospak FC.
Meanwhile, Former Premier League side Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs recorded their fourth successive home victory after beaten New Edubiase United 2-1 at the Robert Mensah Park. Enoch Odoom struck first for Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs in the 19th minute but Steven Asante equalized for New Edubiase United before halftime. After the interval, Godfred Eshun scored from distance in the 65th minute to help Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs secure all the points.
Here are the results in Zone Two
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Cervical Cancer alert: Avoid sex at early age
The Programmes Manager of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Mary Efua Commeh, has advised young girls to avoid sex at an early age.
This, she explained, will give the cervix the opportunity to mature before they become sexually active.
“You need to delay what we call the first sexual intercourse as much as possible to give the cervix the opportunity to mature before the person becomes sexually active,” she said.
Dr Commeh stated this in an interview with The Spectator in Accra on Tuesday as a part of the Cervical Cancer awareness month.
According to her, cervical cancer was the second leading female cancer in Ghana with a total of about 3,072 cases annually, and out of that, 1,815 deaths are recorded, representing more than 50 per cent.
She indicated that “If young girls are going to be sexually active, then you need to talk to your parents about being vaccinated.”
She explained that vaccinating young girls against human papillomavirus (HPV) has been found to be a very effective way of preventing cervical cancer.
“There are countries that started HPV vaccination years ago and they are not seeing any cervical cancers now because they would have eliminated most of the high-risk HPVs in their women. So if the high-risk HPV is not there, then obviously the results on cervical cancers are going to go down,” she added.
Dr Commmey said the HPV vaccination is recommended for young girls aged nine to 14 years, adding that it had been found to be highly effective, not just for cervical cancers but for other HPV-related cancers, such as anal cancers, cancers of the vagina, genital warts, amongst others.
She further elaborated that the idea is to put up a barrier before the HPV comes in and that once a young female encounters it, she is already protected.
She also mentioned that for cervical cancers, the main cause is called HPV infection, saying generally, all sexually active women acquire HPV at some point in their lives.
However, the Programmes Manager of NCDs at the GHS mentioned that the body has a way of clearing the HPV, explaining that it is a natural mechanism that goes on, unfortunately, there are a few women whose HPV persists.
Moreover, she noted that the numbers for Cervical Cancer tend to be much higher because at times, clients would wait, and try all sorts of medications before they finally report to the health facility saying “we actually lose some women before they get to the hospitals with over 75 per cent of the cases coming in its third and fourth stages.”
Dr Commey, therefore, called for public awareness while ensuring the availability of information for prevention and control.
By Jemima Esinam Kuatsinu
