Mr John Henry Mensah, Senior Minister and Chairman of Government Economic Team, on Saturday gave the assurance that education would continue to feature prominently in the country's investment programme but much would depend on students to make constructive use of such an opportunity.
Mr Mensah was speaking at the Bishop Herman College at Kpando as part of its Golden Jubilee Celebration under the theme, "Capturing the national vision; investing in education."
He said a total of 99 billion cedis were being invested in projects to facilitate teaching and learning at the college. The senior minister told the students to take their studies seriously and to set and pursue clear visions.
Mr Mensah also urged students to employ dialogue and compromise in solving problems in their schools, reminding them that the democratic atmosphere in the country was no licence for destructive and unruly behaviour.
He commended the college for distinguishing itself as an institution of disciplined students, which was a true reflection of its motto, ''soldiers of Christ.'' Mr Mensah said the college's motto was a applicable to the country because it called for truth, unity and strength, saying, the country went through bad times but "we are pointed in a direction upwards.''
The senior minister gave the assurance that he would assist in addressing the infrastructure problems of the college. He presented a cheque for 20 million cedis as President John Agyekum Kufuor's personal donation to the school.
Professor Ernest Dumor, Chairman of the Jubilee Planning Committee, called on government to create a favourable environment for teaching and learning in the country. He asked school authorities to place emphasise on the teaching of science and technology and literature to prepare students for the future challenges.
Prof. Dumor appealed to government to consider transforming the college into an institute of science and technology. He called on old students of the college to assist in creating opportunities for others to attain the heights they have achieved.
Mr Theodore Dzavor, the headmaster of the college called on individuals and organisations to assist the college to build more bungalows for tutors and to put up sufficient classrooms for the student population of 600.
He mentioned that the college did not have regular water supply, faced transportation problems and hoped that the authorities, old boys and the Parent-Teachers Association (PTA) would continue to assist the college in solving its problems.
The climax of the celebration was the launching of a novel entitled ''Hope at sunset'', written by Dr Kudzo Agamasu, an old student of the college. The first five copies were auctioned for 16.6 million cedis. The total proceeds from the sales would be paid into the college's Jubilee fund.
