Return and aid the efforts of your primary schools - Old students urged

Mrs Edith N. D. Kyeremateng, the Headmistress of Achimota Basic School, has called on alumni of basic schools to return and assist the efforts of their alma maters.

She said unlike many secondary schools with established alumni associations, many established primary or basic schools do lack the role and contributions of their alumni and excelling past students.

Speaking at the 59th Speech and Prize Giving Day held recently at Achimota, Mrs Kyeremateng said though Achimota Basic School is a public school, every effort is being made in partnership with the Akorettes (alumni) to pursue the vision of the founding fathers which is to produce all-rounded individuals whose minds, hearts and hands have been developed to serve the human resource needs of our dear nation.

In this regard, she said, the school participates in routine competitions organized by the G.E.S for its schools at the circuit, district, regional and national levels, in culture, sports, quizzes and amongst others. Speaking under the theme: “learning without drugs, the perfect path to academic excellence”, Mrs Kyeremateng said to help unleash the full potentials of our pupils and students, various clubs have been formed in the school and students are obligated to join.

She said theyinclude Science club, Scripture Union, Red Cross, Cadet, Choir Cultural group, Girls’ Guide and Debating clubs.

She said currently, the school has a general enrolment of 2,862 which is made up of 1,464 male and 1,398 females, with seven hundred and twenty-nine of them being boarders and two thousand one hundred and thirty-three as day pupils. Mrs Kyeremateng said the school has 105 teaching staff and 81 non-teaching staff and in the year under review, the school presented 276 candidates for the examination.

Out of this number, Mrs Kyeremateng said, two hundred of them have presented their entry documents for Senior High School for endorsement. And majority of them gained admission into first class Senior High Schools (option school).

She said former President John Dramani Mahama, an Akorette, has refurbished the washrooms of Fraser House and Lower Boys dormitories into first class facilities with the renovations almost done and this is besides other contributions by various Akorettes including the effort and cash donations of the Akorettes 1987 Year Group which helped to ensure the success of this year’s Speech and Prize-Giving Day.

Mrs Kyeremateng expressed gratitude to the 1986 year group of Akorettes for donating one thousand story books; 1984 Akorettes - a set of football, jerseys and other sports items.

She also expressed gratitude to President of the Old Pupils Association Mr Albert Aryee and his executives and Nana Serwaa Acheampong for their support in diverse ways prominent amongst them being the effort to build a magnificent GH¢280.000 Library on top of the Sick Bay for the school.

Mrs Kyeremateng said next year, the school would be celebrating its sixtieth anniversary and called all Akorettes to lend their support to ensure the success of the various of the various activities lined up.

Akorette Cecil Mensah, the President of the 1987 Group, said it was at the primary level that he learnt that diversity, passion and team work are important but more important is the need to move forward in cohesion “work together irrespective of our background and differences” was the core of the training we received.

He said said our teachers told us that “with passion no obstacle will be too great, no victory will be enough, and mediocrity will just exist as a word in the dictionary”.

Akorette Mensah called on past students of basic schools to participate regularly in the activities of their alma mater and use the opportunity to reward and recognise the roles of all the teaching and non teaching staff.

Distinguished personalities who graced the event include: Mrs Margaret Okai, Director Basic G.E.S and chairman for the event, Dr Hilda Eghan our Special Guest of Honour, Mrs Margaret Frempong-Kore, the Metropolitan Director of Education and Akorette Professor Badu Akosah, Former Director- General, Ghana Health Service.