For the first time since its establishment 42 years ago, the Adaklu Senior High School (ADASEC) in the Adaklu District of the Volta Region last Saturday held a speech and prize-giving day.
The event, which coincided with the sod-cutting for a GH¢400,000 underground water reservoir project sponsored by the school alumni, was on the theme: Celebrating Excellence, Reuniting Generations and Shaping the Future.
The Minister of Roads and Highways, Governs Kwame Agbodza, in a speech read on his behalf, said the occasion was a monumental celebration of resilience, growth and community triumph.
He said ADASEC was born out of the burning desire of the people of Adaklu to give their children access to secondary education on their ancestral soil.
Pride
“Today, we look back with pride at how that tiny seed planted at Adaklu-Waya has grown into a mighty baobab tree, sheltering thousands of brilliant minds,” Mr Agbodza added.
Mr Agbodza, who is the Member of Parliament for Adaklu, commended the staff of ADASEC for pouring their hearts into the growth of the students, saying that brilliant minds were not determined by geography but by grit, determination and focus by the staff and the students.
The District Chief Executive, Jerry Ameko, reaffirmed the assembly’s stance for continuous support for ADASEC in the areas of infrastructure, welfare and resource support, and student motivation.
“We will continue to champion initiatives that celebrate and reward high-achieving students from Adaklu, ensuring that financial barriers do not truncate the dreams of the youth,’ he said.
Reforms
The Volta Regional Director of Education, Marian Jemima Adzroe, said current educational reforms were designed for students who were ready to take responsibility for their learning and to choose pathways that matched their talents.
“Whether you are inclined to sciences, business, arts or technical skills, there is space for you to excel and contribute meaningfully to national development,” she said.
The Headmaster, Bright Agbesi-Akati, said the school, which took off in 1984 with a modest enrolment of about 40, now had 1,032 students, including 423 boys and 609 girls.
He said 268 final-year students completed their final paper in June this year.
The headmaster said that out of 182 candidates who sat for the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination, 51 qualified for admission to tertiary institutions.
Projects
Mr Agbesi-Akati said among the projects ongoing at the school were a dining hall complex, an eight-unit classroom block, a two-storey science block and a toilet facility for girls.
They also include a boys’ dormitory block, perimeter fence, a dining shed, a bungalow for the assistant headmaster and an ICT complex.
Meanwhile, the headmaster announced the site for the headmaster’s bungalow had also been cleared and work was set to start.
He said work on the school’s internal roads would also start soon under the GETFund.
Challenges
Mr Agbesi-Akati said the lack of staff accommodation within the school compound was making prep supervision and the enforcement of discipline difficult, while inadequate classroom space and dormitories were among the serious challenges facing ADASEC.
He said the school also needed a bus and a pick-up vehicle to operate smoothly.
The headmaster said the ADASEC also needed 100 tables and 200 long benches for dining as a matter of urgency, and required 200 tables and chairs for classrooms.
Prizes were awarded to deserving students.
