University of Ghana School holds Speech Day

Legon, Dec 12, GNA - The Headmistress of the University of Ghana Primary and Junior Secondary Schools at Legon, Mrs Esi Mensah-Bonsu, on Saturday advised teachers to pursue distance education programmes as alternative to study leave. She said this would enable them to offer their services and at the same time upgrade themselves.

Mrs Mensah-Bonsu was speaking at a Speech and Prize Giving Day organised to climax the Golden Jubilee Anniversary Celebrations of the School. The Headmistress indicated that an average of six teachers were leaving the school annually to upgrade themselves, saying this was having a negative impact on teaching and learning at the school. She therefore appealed to the University authorities to sponsor some of the teachers to access the distance education programmes so as to reduce the high turnover of teaching staff in the school. She commended the final year students of the University of Education, Winneba, for doing their internship in the school and suggested to the authorities of the University of Ghana to formalise the arrangement.

On the performance of students of the Basic Education Certificate Examinations (BECE) Mrs. Mensa-Bonsu said of total 207 candidates who took the recent examinations, 198 candidates passed. She identified inadequate infrastructure as a major problem facing the school and appealed to all stakeholders to help it with facilities.

In a speech read on his behalf, the Minister of Education and Sports, Mr Yaw Osafo-Marfo, reminded teachers of public basic Schools that it was unlawful to sack or intimidate a pupil for the failure of the parents to pay any levy. He said the capitation grant introduced recently by government was aimed at creating a well-balanced individual with the requisite knowledge, skills and values for self-actualisation to enhance socio-economic development.

The School's library was named after the late Beatrice Larbi, who served the school from 1964 to 1979 for her immense contribution towards the establishment and smooth operations of the Library. A thanksgiving service was also held on Sunday to climax the Golden Jubilee Celebration of the University of Ghana Primary and Junior Secondary Schools.