Adisadel Still Lacks Classrooms

IN SPITE of the decrease in the number of students admitted at the Adisadel College in Cape Coast from about 2,000 to 1,500 last year, the school still lacks classrooms to accommodate the students, as the physical structures of the school is in a deplorable state, says the headmaster of the school of Mr J.E. Kitson.

In an interview with the Chronicle, he said the teacher to student ratio is 20 students to a teacher and 40 students to a classroom as required by the government.

"If the number of classrooms is increased, more students will be allowed in the school," he underscored.

According to him, there is no day student in the school since it has enough dormitories to accommodate them.

He therefore called on the government to save the structures of the school from collapsing. Chronicle gathered that it does not have enough facilities to accommodate the about 80 teachers in the school.

On the issue of water supply, Mr. Kitson noted that if Cape Coast has no water, the school has enough since it has a borehole and it sometimes buys water from water tankers to supplement.

He also said there is frequent power outage, thereby affecting studies.

Touching on training, he said the teachers do not undergo training programmes, which will motivate them to work harder. In view of this, he saidthe old students of the school have decided to chart a new growth for the school to address the challenges by designing a four-year strategic business plan.

Giving the details of the plan at its launch in Accra, Mr. Sam Mensah, the Chief Executive Officer, said it would seek to strengthen the academics and financial base of the school.

He also said the strategic plan will tend to reorganize the school's alumini relations.

As part of plan, he said Adisadel Foundation would be incorporated.

He also took notice of an increment in the Adisadel endowment fund to ?5billion by the year 2007.

A new corporate structure, he stated, is to be effected to formalize a public-partnership between the Ministry of Education and the Adisadel fraternity.

"We will mobilize resources to complement government's efforts to maintain the school as a first rate second cycle institutions," the school head asserted.

According to him, new educational products and programmes are to be implemented in the school's academic calendar in order to maintain the high standards of the school.

He called on the alumni to contribute towards the foundation so as to help raise the image of the school.

Historically, the Anglican Church established Adisadel College in 1910 as a boys secondary school in Cape Coast. Over the years it has produced very successful students, most of whom hold responsible positions in academia, business and government in and outside the country.

Notable among them are Hon. Frederick Blay, the second deputy speaker of Parliament and Justice Acquah, a high court judge.