The culture of students rioting which has reared its ugly head in a number of Senior High Schools in the Northern part of the country recently could worsen the already trying conditions many of them have to cope with and thereby affect education negatively and deepen the woes of the youth.

This came to light at a forum organized by the Upper East Regional branch of the Northern Patriots in Research and Advocacy (NORPRA), a Youth Advocacy Organization.

In a speech read for him, the Upper East Regional Minister, Honorable Mark Wayongo, described as unfortunate the rioting of students that led to the destruction of the already inadequate school infrastructure at the Navrongo, Congo, Sandema and Gowrie Senior High Schools, all in the Upper East Region and Ghana Senior High School in Tamale in the Northern Region between June and July this year.

He said the country is faced with a lot of challenges in the provision of adequate infrastructure for education and other aspects of development, and the North in particular is over a century behind the rest of the country in terms of education gap.

He added that the destruction of school property and attack on staff are a clear indication that the youth especially those in the North are not prepared like their counterparts elsewhere in the world to stand up to the challenges of today for a better future.

Any act of hooliganism by the youth today, the Minister observed, is tantamount to shooting oneself in the foot since they are the same people whose future hangs in the balance in the face of acute shortage of logistics and infrastructure.

Mr. Wayongo charged the students to see themselves as future leaders of the nation and eschew all forms of negative tendencies such as drug abuse, insubordination and other forms of indiscipline.

He entreated them to cooperate with school authorities in a spirit consistent with maintaining a peaceful atmosphere conducive for effective teaching and learning.

NORPRA which has for the third year running been organizing free vacation classes for students in basic, junior and senior high schools at various centers in the Region held the forum to create a platform for the students to interact with the Regional Minister in Bolgatanga.

The Minister hinted that the Government is committed to putting in place measures that will ensure that the youth of the country have a sound future. He cited the National Youth Policy launched recently by His Excellency, John Dramani Mahama, the Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, the expansion of the school feeding programme and the free school uniform and books programmes as support of government's broader commitment to creating a society of equal opportunities and not only for a few youth from rich homes.

Opening the forum, the President of NORPRA, Bismark Adongo, said sometimes young people desire first hand information about critical concerns and issues that affect them but do not get the answers. It is in this light that NORPRA sees it necessary to organize such a programme rightly dubbed: A Day with My Minister.

Mr. Adongo said NORPRA has noted with deep concern the high incidence of poverty in the area that disables a lot of parents from financing their children and wards through schools resulting in drop outs arte in the area. He said it is the same financial constraints which is responsible for the migration of school children in the area to the South in search of non existing jobs in the face of myriads of risks and at the expense of their studies.

He revealed that the free vacation classes by NORPRA are a move to help the students remain busy with their books so that they can hope for a successful future.

Commenting on the challenges of the youth in the country and the North in particular, the General Secretary of NORPRA, Mr. Jarvis Avoka said the current state of development in the educational sector in the country especially the North may not be the best, however, but that does not give the youth any license to engage in activity that will disturb the relative peace and democratic dispensation the country currently enjoys.

Mr. Avoka was quick to add that NORPRA plans to engage in thoughtful discussions with the Regional Educational Directorate, Heads of Schools, the students and other stakeholders in education in the Region in the hope of finding workable solutions to pertinent issues affecting education and development in the area and the nation at large.