Headmaster appeals for help

Larteh, April 16, GNA - The Headmaster of Larteh Presbyterian Secondary Technical School (PSTS), Mr Emmanuel Mac-Asare, has appealed to the government to provide the school with adequate infrastructure. The Headmaster, who was addressing the 22nd anniversary and fourth speech and prize giving-day of the school on Saturday at Larteh, said if nothing were done the new education programme to be effected from September would suffer in the school.

"Part of the lessons are held under a shed, rented premises serve as a boarding facility for boys and a second-hand pick-up is used for administrative and educational purposes."

The theme for the day was "bridging the gap between the developed and the developing schools: a collective responsibility". He said because the school was a community school, fees were used to run the school and this had put the finances of the school in very difficult position and called on other stakeholders to assist.

Mr Mac-Asare said since the school rents private premises for it's boarders, the rent kept soaring and the school could face ejection soon for non-payment of rent.

He said despite all the challenges, the school robs shoulders in both the academic and sports fields with the well-endowed schools in the region due to discipline and perseverance on the part of the students. The school was first in the regional 50th Anniversary Competition, won the handball competition for the second time and in athletics came second in both boys and girls' categories.

Mr. Mac-Asare said out of 65 candidates presented by the school at the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination for 2005, 45 passed in all 7 subjects and 10 of them gained admission to the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. The guest speaker Dr Nicholas Siaw, the D ean of Students of the Koforidua Polytechnic, said it was high time gaps between well and less endowed institutions were bridged if quality education was to be accessible to all.

He said the trend where some schools had facilities in abundance while others could not boost of even a school truck was an indictment on access to quality education in the country.

Dr Siaw, who is an alumnus of the school, called on the community and the Presbyterian Church to be moved by the plight of the school to raise the standard to an appreciable level.

He told the students that conditions in the school were not satisfactory, yet many were those who had passed through it to become able men in the society and urged them to focus on their studies. The General Manager of Presbyterian schools, Rev. Samuel Mensah, thanked the headmaster and staff for their services that had sustained the school in the face of huge challenges He said the Presbyterian Church was enthused about the delivery of vocational and technical education and would therefore ensure that the school had the necessary facilities to learn. Thirty-one students and nine staff members were awarded prizes for their performance in various fields and service to the school. 16 April 07