‘Public must contribute to education’
The Kumasi Metropolitan Archbishop of the Catholic Church, Most Rev. Gabriel Justice Yaw Anokye, has urged the public not to make education in the country the sole responsibility of the government, but must understand that they also have a moral obligation to ensure it turns out smoothly.
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He said because education was important in human development, there was the need for all and sundry to contribute their quota towards its success and sustainability.
He said the Catholic Church, for its part, would continue to work hard to support education in the country and to a larger extent, the nation’s development.
Most Rev. Anokye made the statements when a new board of governors for the Opoku Ware Senior High School (OWASS) in Kumasi was being inaugurated.
The 13-member board is chaired by the Chairman of the former board, Professor Yaw Adubofour Tuffour, who has been given the nod once again to serve for a second term in office.
Members of the new board were sworn in by a Circuit Court Judge, Madam Mary Nsenkyere, and would serve for a period of three years.
Support
Most Rev. Anokye recommended to stakeholders to support the new board in order that they might contribute effectively to the running of the school.
He pledged the church’s support for the school and urged management to ensure that students would receive total development in spirit, body, mind and scholarly pursuits.
Inaugural speech
The Ashanti Regional Director of Education, Mrs Mary Owusu Achiaw, who inaugurated the board, said the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service (GES) saw the establishment of a governing board as an indispensable tool that allowed for community participation in the governance of schools.
She charged members of the new board to bring their experiences to bear on further development of the school.
Roles and responsibilities
Prof. Tuffour commended the immediate past headmaster of the school, Mr F M Oppong Mensah, for his role and contribution towards the development of the school. He also praised the Catholic Church, the GES and other partners for their role in the appointment of a new headmaster of the school.
Headmaster
The new headmaster for OWASS, Dr Alexis Frimpong-Nimoh, said the school had an impressive record in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), having scored 100 per cent for five consecutive years since 2011.
He attributed the success chalked up by the school to the hard work of the teaching and non-teaching staffs and the outgoing board of governors.
In an address read on behalf of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, by the Manwerehene, Dr Baffour Osei Brentuo Hyiaman VI, Otumfuo lauded stakeholders of the school for their support over the years and encouraged them to continue to do more for the school.
Awards were presented to the outgoing members of the school board in recognition of their meritorious service that had raised the status of the school.