Be mindful of distractions - Father Andrew Campbell
The Parish Priest of the Christ The King Catholic Church, Father Andrew Campbell, has advised schoolchildren to use the new academic year to make up for opportunities they missed last year.
He said those who performed well should not be complacent but work even harder to continue to be among the best.
He stressed that "students should work hard and not be weary of going the extra mile, especially during examination periods. They need to sacrifice for success to be won", he said.
Father Campbell, who was speaking to the Junior Graphic in an interview on the academic performance of schoolchildren, emphasised that instead of children spending so much time watching television, they should be hooked to their books and ensure that their focus was to study hard.
He said the current generation of students had too many distractions which lured them away from their studies but pointed out that this was the time they needed to avoid those distractions which included over attachment to their mobile phones and spending so much time on social media platforms.
Father Campbell pointed out that wasting so much time chatting on social media platforms including Whatsapp and Facebook with friends rather than concentrating on their books could rob them of excellent school reports.
He said as children returned to school for the 2016-2017 academic year, they should respect the rules and regulations of their respective schools and be disciplined.
“Children must be trustworthy, refrain from stealing and cheating during examinations”, he added.
"Every year, one hears about exam results of students being cancelled,” he noted and said that if all students worked hard, they would not need to cheat.
He, therefore, encouraged every child in school to pay attention to what they were being taught, learn to be honest; avoid telling lies, and believe that God loved them and had plans for each of them.
Father Campbell also advised children to be wary of the friends they make and not fall into bad company in order not to destroy their bright future.