Teachers urged to be role models

TEACHERS have been urged to be responsible in shaping their students both academically and socially because of the influence they have on them at school.
National AIDS Council Secretariat (NACS) acting director Wep Kanawi said this at the launching of the Red Ribbon Day at the Gordon Secondary School last Friday.
This was a lead-up activity by the NCD provincial AIDS council (NCDPAC) to coincide with the World AIDS Day on Dec 1.
Present at the launching were student representatives from elementary to vocational schools in NCD.
Six students from Wardstrip Demonstration, Bomana Elementary, St John Primary, Gordon Secondary and Maino Heduru Vocational were chosen to be official ambassadors by having red ribbons pinned to their school uniforms by the NCD Governor Powes Parkop.
According to Mr Kanawi, a total of 116 schools in NCD will be receiving more than 70,000 red ribbons to wear and show their stand against HIV/AIDS and the social effects felt in the communities and in the country.
The schools will also be receiving banners to hang over their school gates and also to wear red on that day.
Mr Kanawi said HIV/AIDS was a social disease because it spreads during careless social activities like
having unprotected sex.
He said young adults were an active group who participated in such activities and urged the students to learn more about how to take care of themselves.
Mr Parkop congratulated Mr Kanawi and the NCDPAC for coming up with the idea and also for introducing the concept for a public servants march against HIV/AIDS on Dec 1.
He told the students that he wanted to see the future of the younger generation to be brighter and healthier for they were the next generation of leaders to help build their families, their communities and the country.
Mr Parkop challenged the teachers, saying they should not only academically shape their students, but also take part in activities like the public servants’ march against HIV/AIDS and other awareness programmes.