British Columbia College (BCC), last Saturday, climaxed 10 years of its existence with a graduation ceremony at which 42 students who were progressing to various academic stages were presented with certificates.
The graduation, which was on the theme, "A Decade of Excellence: Empowering Minds, Enriching Lives," brought together traditional leaders, parents, staff, and academics to celebrate the school's milestone.
Out of the 42 students, nine completed Kindergarten and are moving to pre-school, 13 completed pre-school and were being promoted to middle school and the rest had completed various internationally recognised High School certifications such as the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD), Advanced levels and International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE).
Chris-David Sesi Quansah, the valedictorian, who took home a tablet, was awarded with a 40 per cent scholarship from the Lancaster University, Ghana with the option of completing his undergraduate programme in the United Kingdom.
Founded in 2016, BCC runs Nursery, Primary, Junior High and Senior High divisions on a project-based, learner-centred model.
It is affiliated with Ridley College and Rosedale Academy in Ontario, Canada, for the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD), and is accredited by Cambridge Assessment International Education for CIPP, Checkpoint, IGCSE and AS/A-Level programmes.
The ceremony was preceded by a display of discipline and physical fitness by the school's cadet corps, and closed with the cutting of an anniversary cake.
A Senior Lecturer in Management at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), Dr Joseph Gerald Nyanyofio, who was the guest speaker at the event, commended the board and management for steering the school through challenges of quality assurance, infrastructure and financing over the past decade.
He attributed Ghana's growing reputation as a preferred destination for international education in West Africa to the country's political stability, the use of English, sound education policies and strong institutional commitment to quality.
Dr Nyanyofio, therefore, challenged the school, which provides a Canadian-based curriculum in the sub-region, to look beyond academic results and place greater emphasis on building the character of students.
He appealed to the CEO and the Governing Board of BCC to institute a scholarship scheme for children with special needs and those from underprivileged communities in Accra, saying such a move would strengthen the college's legacy in the areas of educational equity and social inclusion.
Caution
In his address on behalf of King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, the Paramount Chief of the Abola Traditional Area, Nii Ahene Nunoo III, challenged the students to sustain the cultural heritage of the country.
For his part, the school's CEO, Dr Benedict Nii Tetteh Yartey, thanked the Ga Mantse's delegation, the PTA, staff and other guests for their support over the years.
He pledged to commit to excellence and quality scholarship in the years ahead.
