Christian religious leaders in the Greater Accra Region have appealed to former president John Dramani Mahama, flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), to give mission schools back to religious organisations to manage and supervise if he wins the 2024 election. They said they are in a better position to inculcate discipline in the students and mould them for the future, stressing that the current misbehaviour and disobedience among students were due to a lack of discipline in the schools. The religious leaders made the appeal when the former president interacted with them to seek their counsel and suggestions on what the next NDC government must focus on. Reverend Father Francis Destiny Amenovor, the priest in charge of Divine Mercy Catholic Church at East Legon, stated, 'A lot of people will attest that our mission schools helped so many people in general. I want to suggest that we look at our educational system very well; our principles are being thrown to the dogs, and we must reclaim the e ducation system so that our youth of today will be properly formed for the future.' The clergy also emphasized the need for political parties to ensure that there was peace before and after the 2024 general election. They also touched on revamping the agricultural sector, improving healthcare services, construction of deteriorating roads, inadequate infrastructure, LGBTQ+, and tackling unemployment, especially among the youth. Mr Mahama, responding to them, said it was about time the church and government collaborated to manage the schools, proposing that the chairman of the board of the school, for instance, would be from the church to have direct control over the students. He added that churches would then play a bigger role in the selection of school heads, adding that the schools were transferred to the government because it had the resources to expand the schools in terms of infrastructure. The NDC flag bearer added that his administration would ensure that faith-based organisations would have a gre ater role to play in managing the schools to improve the educational sector in the country. 'Most of the schools come into government even for new community schools that are being set up. Wherever I go, people are saying to adopt our secondary schools because they know once you adopt them, the government will invest in them and expand the school, but if they belong to missions like Amadiya, Methodist, or Assemblies of God, we must make sure faith-based organisations have a greater role in running the schools,' he stated. He said during the late Professor John Atta Mills' administration, there was an annual budget for tackling schools under trees and while, 7.5 per cent of government total revenues was transferred to the district assemblies, directing them on how to use the funds. He added that over 1000 schools were constructed and over 4000 community health planning services (CHPS) compounds were also built through that initiative, adding that his next government would realign its budget to cater for scho ols under trees. He appreciated the clergy for meeting with him and his team, adding that the nationwide tour was aimed at gathering ideas and contributions from stakeholders, which would be presented in the party's manifesto and used as policies when he assumed office. The flagbearer of the NDC asked religious leaders to continuously pray for him, as well as for the peace of the country Source: Ghana News Agency