The Vice President, Dr Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia, has called for the upgrade and provision of facilities at Accra High School to enable it function effectively as a boarding school.
He said the provision of facilities such as dining hall, boys and girls dormitories, furniture, staff accommodation would help tutors care for the children on campus and among others make the life of students comfortable thereby creating a conducive atmosphere for better academic output.
Dr Bawumia said this in Accra on Saturday at the centenary anniversary launch and fund raising of the school which was held under the theme “Accra High School at 100, the state of education, the school and the future.”
He therefore asked the Minister of Education, Dr Yaw OseiAdutwum, to ensure that the school is given the needed infrastructure.
“So honourable Minister for Education, we are not just talking about the equipment for science laboratory, we want to see that the dormitories, dining hall, staff accommodation are being built.
“This is the oldest Senior High School in Greater Accra, Eastern and Volta regions. They are 100 years old and let us honour that service they have done to the country by providing the necessary infrastructure,” Dr Bawumia said.
The Vice President said government introduced the Free Senior High School (FSHS) policy in 2017 to make secondary education free for every Ghanaian child and this had brought great relief to children and their parents.
He said government would continue to work hard to fulfil its promise to Ghanaians adding that “we cannot afford to disappoint the youth and future leaders of the country.”
He said as a result of the FSHS, more girls have enrolled and there was now virtual gender parity across the senior high schools between boys and girls and called Ghanaians to rally behind government as it delivers on this core mandate of preparing the future leaders for a better and prosperous Ghana.
He urged the board of governors, management, tutors, old students, parents and current students to do their individual part to take the school to another level stating that for “Accra High school this centenary celebration should be the opening of a new chapter so far as the school is concerned.”
The Minister of Education, Dr Adutwum, on his part pledged to furnish the science laboratory with equipment to aid teaching and learning.
He said the country’s educational system was on the right track despite a few challenges confronting it and promised to strengthen the Junior High School (JHS) education to give Ghana a robust education system.
He paid tribute to the founding fathers of the school for their sacrifice and dedication to the school.
The headmistress of the school,Mrs Evelyn Nabia,said the year-long activities that would herald the anniversary celebrations include school funfair and homecoming, centenary carol service, workshops, represent your house, lectures, founder’s day celebration.
The rest, she said were sports and funfair, float, health walk, screening and talk, candle light procession, night vigil and bonfire, exhibition, grand durbar and thanksgiving.#
BY JEMIMA ESINAM KUATSINU
