Occultism exists in schools - Headmaster

Cape Coast, Nov. 14, GNA - Mr Crosby Ashun, Headmaster of Mfantsipim School, on Saturday confirmed rumours that some students in second cycle institutions in the country engaged in occultism. He said the practice had assumed high dimensions and needed to be checked before it got out of hand.

Mr Ashun who was addressing the 128th Speech and Prize giving Day of the Mfantsipim School at Cape Coast on the theme: "128 years of excellence: Sustaining the gains - a shared responsibility", stressed that "our findings indicate that it is real."

He said occultism and drug addiction were "bed fellows and should not to be taken lightly", stressing the need for parents particularly, to get closer to their wards to know them better.

On the academic performance, Mr Ashun said the school had set up a committee to help improve performance in the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE), following a public uproar, after the academic performance ranking of schools report was published early this year.

He appealed to all stakeholders to continue to assist in educating and instilling discipline in students since it was only through such means that they could achieve excellence.

Mr Ashun thanked the "old boys" who made various contributions to enhance infrastructural development of the school.

They included the 1964, 74 and 84 year groups who made donations including the provision of 100 pieces of computers and 564 bags of cement and a cheque for 230 million cedis towards the construction of the school library.

The 1984 year-group also refurbished the school's dispensary and built a nurses quarter's to enable the school to accommodate a resident nurse at a cost of 600 million cedis while also providing 284 bags of cement for renovation works.

The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Papa Owusu Ankomah who was the guest speaker, pledged government's commitment to provide the necessary infrastructure to ensure quality teaching and learning in schools.

He, however, pointed out that priority would be given to less endowed schools and also appealed to all stakeholders in education to play their part positively to ensure excellence in academic performance.