The Headmistress of Mfantsiman Girls’ Senior High School, Mrs Phyllis Arthur-Simpson, has appealed for support in the retooling of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and science laboratories in the school to ensure academic excellence.
The school, she said, had excelled in a number of areas that required the use of computers but expressed concern about the computer laboratory, saying, “Our computer laboratory is in sorry sight, we do not have a single desk computer for students to use”.
She further said: “We only have a few laptops that were provided by some philanthropists but these are inadequate considering the number of students in the school”.
Mrs Arthur-Simpson made the call at the 63rd speech and prize giving day of Mfantsiman Girls’ Senior High School held on the school’s premises.
This year’s event supported by the 1998-year group of Mfantsiman Old Girls Association (MOGA 98) was on the theme: “Re-positioning Mfantsiman Girls for academic excellence: The role of stakeholders.”
Mrs Arthur-Simpson further explained that the science laboratory also required some upgrading and appealed for the construction of a state-of-the-art laboratory for the school.
Despite the challenges, she explained that, academic work continued to improve and as reflected in the WASSCE results.
Management, she said, would work to ensure that the school improves on the level of passes at subsequent examinations.
A Deputy Minister of Education, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, in an address, noted that Mfantsiman Girls continued to be one of the high performing schools in the country, saying, “the school has raised some of the great people we have in this nation.”
“The time has come for you to rise up to the challenge in repositioning Mfantsiman Girls as a place to go on this continent,” he said.
Rev. Fordjour further stated that: “A time has come for us to redefine what the girl child stands for, that you will not be boxed in the traditional stereotype but you will rise up and break the ceilings and defy the status quo.”
He said that, the training students receive on campus was one of the best one can find anywhere and said, Mfantsiman Girls had supported and trained girls to be bold and daring and to reach the best of their talent.
Rev. Fordjour urged the students to apply themselves to discipline, excellence, and innovation to be able to achieve their potential.
The Deputy Minister further stated that the government in promoting access to quality education had removed systemic barriers to ensure that people achieve their potential in life.
The Central Regional Minister, Mrs Justina Marigold Assan, in a speech read on her behalf, commended the school for its contribution towards national development.
She urged management of the school not to lower the standard of training for the girls, stating that, management of Mfantsiman Girls must make frantic efforts in guarding the image of the school.
Mrs Assan called on all stakeholders in supporting the training of students since it was the collective responsibility of everyone.
FROM DAVID O. YARBOI-TETTEH, SALTPOND
