Government receives refurbished school at Osu Manhean

The Electricity Supply Board (ESB) of Ireland, on Tuesday officially handed over the refurbished Osu Manhean Junior High School (JHS) and Basic School to the Government in Accra.

The school now has a fence wall, improved drainage system, electricity, potable water as well as water reservoirs and fully furnished classroom for both primary and JHS blocks estimated at GHc 900, 000.

Lieutenant-General Joseph Henry Smith (Rtd), Minister of Defence, said it was important for Ghanaians to recognise education as a backbone of the country’s development.

He said government was embarking on several educational reforms and programmes to improve educational standards in the country.

Lt-Gen. Smith noted that although government was facing numerous challenges to improve educational standards in the country, it was important to redefine some of the policies, programmes and work hand-in-hand with stakeholders to achieve better standards.

He lauded efforts of ESB and the Irish Government for their support over the years to the country’s development and urged other private sector organisations to emulate their gesture.

The Minister of Defence urged the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) to take up the responsibility of managing the facility as well as parents, pupils, students and teachers to adopt healthy maintenance culture to sustain it for the benefit of future generation.

Nii Armah Ashietey, Greater Accra Regional Minister, and Member of Parliament for Korle-Klottey, said the school established in 1967 had been in a deplorable state deterring most students from attending schools due to the danger it posed to their lives.

He said its refurbishment had now created a congenial atmosphere for teaching and learning and a model school one of the best in terms of infrastructure in the constituency.

Nii Ashietey noted that for a foreign organisation to commit resources through voluntary donations from its staff to support the refurbishment of a school indicated the relevance they attached to education.

“If a foreign company has shown such grave concern, then I believe corporate bodies in Ghana could give similar support to government programmes to phase out schools under trees as well as refurbish school buildings,” he said.

Nii Ashietey assured ESB that whatever amenities that were needed would be put in place, and asked the AMA to collaborate with parents and teachers to ensure proper maintenance of the facility.

Mr Chris Adom, Projects Coordinator of ESB, said ESB for the past four years had successfully completed four projects in the metropolis including renovation of Teshie Cluster of schools and Kaneshie West Cluster of schools.

He noted that 90 per cent of infrastructure in public schools were in deplorable state saying it was important for government to take drastic measures to reverse the situation since there was close relationship between students performance, infrastructure and materials in schools.

Mr Padraig McManus, Chief Executive Officer of ESB, called on students, parents and residents in the community to respect the facility and take good care of it for the school to become one of the best in the country.