Twene Amanfo SHS needs support to improve its infrastructure
The Twene Amanfo Senior High/Technical School in Sunyani is undoubtedly one of the emerging second cycle educational institutions in the Brong Ahafo Region in particular and the nation in general.
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Established on January 11, 1930, the school has gone through several metamorphoses as Primary, Middle, Continuation Middle, Experimental JSS and Senior High/Technical School.
Indeed, Sir John Maxwell, the then Colonial Administrator for Ashanti West, inaugurated the institution as Sunyani Government School for Primary and Middle levels of education.
In 1960, the school was named as Sunyani Street Primary and Middle School with a multi-purpose wood workshop and again changed to Sunyani High Street Continuation Middle School in 1965.
With the introduction of the JSS concept in 1971, the school became the first Experimental JSS in the Brong Ahafo Region on September 1, 1981, and was upgraded to a senior high school status following an appeal by the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA).
In August, 1986, the Sunyani Traditional Council saw the need to rename the institution as Twene Amanfo Senior Secondary/Technical School after the second traditional chief of Sunyani.
It was in keeping with the school’s vision that under the headship of Mr Agyemang Badu, a vocational centre was inaugurated in 2001 to cater to students who want to learn practical skills in vocation.
Currently, the school is offering General Arts “A”, General Arts “B”, General Science, Business, Home Economics, Visual Arts, and Technical as well as Vocational Technical Education.
Challenges
One of the main challenges confronting the school since it was turned into a second cycle institution is infrastructure.
Its preference as a day school by parents and indeed civil and public servants who are posted to the Brong Ahafo Regional capital, Sunyani brings pressure to bear on the authorities of the school at the beginning of every academic year.
It is in light of this that the PTA of the school constructed a two-storey classroom block to complement the old structures in order to increase the intake of the school.
However, due to the increase in number of the teaching and administrative staff, some of the classrooms had to be converted into offices.
Completion of administrative block
Even though the foundation stone of the two-storey splendid edifice was laid in 2007, the project was completed and inaugurated by the Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwaku Asomah-Cheremeh on Wednesday, May 24, 2017.
The initial plan of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) to fund a one-storey block was later changed into a two-storey building due to the lack of space in the school for future projects.
The top floor of the GH¢1.4 million building houses the school’s ICT laboratory and a library for use by both teachers and students.
An elated headmaster, Mr Michael Nsiah-Agyapong, told the Daily Graphic that with the completion of the administrative block, the school now has additional classrooms to increase its current intake for the next academic year.
He explained that that had become possible because some of the classrooms that were occupied by some of the administrative staff and heads of departments were now empty.
Currently the school has a total population of 2,146 made up of 1,310 boys and 836 girls with 128 teaching and non-teaching staff.
What remains a challenge for the school now is an assembly hall and Mr Nsiah-Agyapong appealed to the government to facilitate the relocation of two primary schools to provide space for the construction of hostel facilities to accommodate students who come from afar.
He explained that currently there were a number of such students who were staying in some hostels without the supervision of the school’s authorities.
Mr Nsiah-Agyapong said even though the building had not been furnished, the officials had moved into it because of the dire need for office accommodation and appealed to the regional minister to help the consultant to speed up the process of furnishing the structure to befit its status.
Some of the prominent personalities who passed through the school are the Paramount Chief of the Sunyani Traditional Area, Nana Bosoma Asor Nkrawiri, and the Queenmother of Sunyani, Nana Yaa Nyamaa and the current Municipal Chief Executive for Sunyani, Dr (Mrs) Evelyn Ama Kumi-Richardson among others.
Regional minister
Addressing the ceremony to inaugurate the block, Mr Asomah-Cheremeh reminded students that their inability to properly balance some social distractions with their prime reason of being in school could cost them dearly.
“I therefore entreat you to channel your energy to purposeful learning experiences which will benefit you as individuals and society at large.
Mr Asomah-Cheremeh also urged them to eschew sexual promiscuity, indecent dressing, drug and alcoholism and other forms of immoral behaviours.
He gave an assurance that the government would continue to create the necessary opportunities for all children of school age to have access to quality education.
According to him, no strings will be attached to the government’s free senior high school intervention when it starts for the 2017/2018 entrants into the public SHSs.
Writer’s email: [email protected]
