Ghana producing exams oriented students - Prof Opuni Frimpong

The Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR), Professor Emmanuel Opuni Frimpong, has observed that currently, the preparations of students for final examinations focus more on teaching them to pass because of time constraints, rather than having a better understanding and grasp of the subject matter.

“Educational institutions are expected to provide holistic education which touches on the cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains of the individual with the overall objective of producing better adults for society, but this is not the case in most of the nation’s institutions,” he said at the launch of the 60th Anniversary celebration of the Sunyani Senior High School (SUSEC) in Sunyani.

The year-long celebration, on the theme “60 Years of Quality Education: Sustaining Education for All to Ensure Economic Transformation”, is designed to be climaxed with a grand durbar in October next year.

Prof Frimpong said the quality and the future of the country’s education sector cannot be looked at without a consideration of student/staff ratio and class sizes.

He further stressed that lately there have been situations of increases in student numbers without a corresponding increase in the number of teaching staff.

He noted that the situation had negatively impacted on effective contact hours, supervision, and teaching, which eventually affects the overall quality output.

Professor Opuni Frimpong, therefore, suggested the need for a new breed of skilled teachers, trained in handling relatively large class sizes.

He, however, added that those teachers must be computer-literate and abreast with modern trends of quality education, coupled with having the welfare of students at heart, as well as the demonstration and dedication of quality output.

The Headmaster of SUSEC, Mr. Michael Nsiah-Agyapong, reported that from a humble beginning of 36 pioneer students, the school now has a total student population of 3,843.

The school has a staff of 273, comprising of 143 teaching staff, 94 non-teaching staff, 16 interns, and 20 national service personnel, bringing the total population of the institution to 4,116.

Mr Nsiah-Agyapong said around April 2018, two months after he assumed office, the level of discipline in the school was around 40 per cent, but now it has risen to about 70 per cent.

According to the Headmaster, with the effective collaboration of management and staff, “discipline is high, and that has started manifesting in the students’ overall performance in sports, drama and culture, choral music performances, and academic delivery.”

The Chairman of the Board of Governors of the School, Barima Dr. Adjei Hinneh Afranfo I, who chaired the ceremony, commended the old students for their support in diverse ways, and urged them to do more for the development of the school.

Barima Dr. Adjei Hinneh Afranfo, who is the ‘Atipimhene’ of Japekrom Traditional Area in the Jaman South Municipality of the Bono Region, appreciated the staff for their commitment and dedicated services to the school, especially the teachers, for not only helping to lift academic standards, but supporting the management to instill discipline in the students.

The Sunyani Senior High School, with the motto “Me Man Nti, Enye Me Nti”, which can literally be translated as “For the Sake of My Nation, But Not My Interest”, was established under the Ghana Education Trust (GET) Schools by former President Dr. Kwame Nkrumah in 1960.

The first batch of students that comprised five females and 31 males, including Nana Bosoma Asor Nkrawiri II, Paramount Chief of Sunyani Traditional Area, and Mr Joseph Adjabeng Danquah, who later became a tutor of the school, were admitted to begin academic work in October that year.

On October 2, 1958, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, then President of the Republic of Ghana, cut the sod to start the construction of the Sunyani Senior High School. The school was officially opened in October 1960.

Many of the old students hold very responsible positions in and outside the country as pastors, doctors, lawyers, teachers, parliamentarians, private businessmen and women.

The school can also boast of a number of enviable achievements since its inception, notable among them is the winning of the 48th National Inter Schools Independence Anniversary Debate held in Accra in 2005, where the school defeated St. Roses Senior High School of Akwatia in the finals.

Seth Arthur of the school was adjudged the National Best Student in a Science Olympiad held in Jakarta-Indonesia that same year, whilst Nana Doris Marfo, a female tutor of the school and a former Assistant Headmistress Domestic, won the Overall National Best Teacher Prize.

In 2008, another second year student, Priscilla Abasi Mbama, was selected among five other students to represent Ghana in an International Junior Science Olympiad in South Korea, and in 2012 Oppong David was in the United States of America on a Cultural Exchange programme, whilst Ntewusu Sheila went to the United Kingdom (UK) on an International Air Cadet Exchange Programme (IACE).

In the field of sports, Regina Tetteh emerged the Best Female Player in table-tennis and soccer in the then Brong-Ahafo Region in 2009, and in 2012 SUSEC emerged the then Brong-Ahafo regional champion for basketball in both the boys and girls divisions, to represent the region in Accra.