Doribabs School marks 10th anniversary
A Deputy Minister of Works and Housing, Mrs Barbara Asher Ayisi, has charged stakeholders in the educational sector to ensure that the enviable accolade that the Central Region as the citadel of education reflects in the quality of academic work at the basic level.
She said stakeholders should not be comfortable with the numerous first-class schools in the region when a lot of its basic institutions were in a worrying state.
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Addressing the 10th anniversary celebration of Doribabs School Complex (a private educational institution) in Cape Coast, Mrs Ayisi, therefore, underscored the need to help develop the basic schools, particulary, those in the deprived communities.
The occasion, which was on the theme: “ Upholding The Toil of Our Founders; For Sustainable Legacy”, was also used to inaugurate the school’s ultra-modern science laboratory.
The Doribabs School Complex was founded by Madam Doris Baaba Simpson on September 08, 2009.
Before its establishment, the premises within which the school operated was a girls’ hostel, which served students of the Ghana National College and Oguaa Senior High School, almost 10 years before the inception of the school.
Quality SHS
Mrs Ayisi, a former Deputy Minister of Education, said: “We should not be complacent with the number of quality senior high schools in our region, but work towards building quality in the basics.”
“We must direct greater attention to our basic schools, since that is the fundamental holistic academic success.
When the foundation is wrong, we cannot get good a structure,” she stressed.
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She said research had indicated that children acquired knowledge from year zero to nine, adding that when the foundation was poor, they could not gain anything for the future.
Mrs Ayisi advised the parents to concern themselves with the educational and other needs of their children, while helping them with their assignments.
She also urged the pupils not to engage in any anti-social vices, since such negative practices had the tendency to destroy them, adding “we must take our studies seriously.”
She further commended the school’s authority for its role in producing best students in the region and the country.
Reference Centre
The Cape Coast Metropolitan Director of Education, Mr Philip Kwesi Incoom, described the school as a beacon and a reference centre for holistic quality basic education which sought to transform learners and nurture leadership to be responsive to the needs of the global society.
He said that vision was in line with the sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4), which was to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
“Indeed, the journey has not been an easy one.
Doribabs School Complex has got this far through collective determination and we must not relent in our effort to move forward in the right direction as we strive to build a better Ghana,” he said.
Speaking on sustainable legacy, Mr Incoom stressed the need to maintain and uphold the quality of the country’s history and culture and pass it on from one generation to another.
Success
The Proprietress of the school, Ms Doris Simpson, recounting the successes chalked up by the school over the years, said it was the best Basic
Education Certificate Examination (BECE) school in 2016, a Presidential Award Winner in 2018 and first e ver private school in the country to be part of the Ghana Best Teacher Prize.
She lauded the founding fathers for their vision which had made it possible for the school to reach that pinnacle.
A member of the Board of Governors, Mr Thomas Kwofie, said although the school had achieved a lot within the period of ten years, which had made it an excellent institution to reckon with, it would not rest on its laurels but work towards improving on the past records.
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“I am not surprised with the kind of achievements the school is chalking up because the foundation was very formidable, which justifies more success stories ahead, should we continue to adhere to our mission, vision and core values,” he said.
He implored the old students to maintain the culture of discipline, integrity and hard work, adding that those virtues would serve as guiding principles in their endeavours.
In a goodwill message, the Central Regional Minister, Mr Kwamena Duncan, described the school as one of the iconic private schools in the region, having won best performing BECE School for four consecutive times in the Abura Asebu Kwamankese District.
Commendation
He commended Ms Sampson for her foresight and visionary leadership and for setting up the educational institution to complement the government’s effort at providing quality education for children in the region and the country as a whole.
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The headteacher of the school, Mr Daniel Essel, in his report, said irrespective of the few setbacks in the attempt to deliver on their mandate, the school had come out with success stories.
“The situation of the school has been a very good one, with most of our ambitions being realised, and the school now becoming a household name,” he said.