WESLEY Girls' High School ("Wey Gey Hey") last weekend observed its 165th speech and prize-giving day in the presence of the First Lady, Mrs. Theresa Kufuor.
The 1st Lady observed that educating a girl is not only to educate a family but also to secure the future of the nation.
She, therefore, asked the students to strive for academic excellence and make their mark even in this difficult times.
Mrs. Kufuor urged the students to guard against the HIV/AIDS menace which is claiming the lives of our future leaders from all the world over and congratulated the school for its achievements over the years.
About 50 old students who have distinguished themselves in various fields in the Ghanaian society were honoured while students who performed creditably in their academic pursuits received awards.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Databank, Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta, urged the students to be courageous and determined to aspire greater heights.
He noted that 165 years is no brief of time and was grateful that Mrs.
Harriet Wrigley planted the school in 1836 and extended his gratitude to their brothers on Kwabotwe Hill (Mfantsipim) also for their 125 years of secondary education.
Speaking on the theme - "165 years of academic, moral and social excellence - an investment for the girl-child," Ofori-Atta said it is now obvious that for one to gain admission to the school or any such school of repute, one has to send his daughter or ward to a preparatory school first to avail her of extra tuition at great cost which has become a ' worry to many parents, he stressed.
He said he had initiated a project to ensure that girls who have been identified as potential are given extra tuition to help them make an appreciable grade to qualify for admission to be funded by Oguaa Akoto Kuw in the UK adding that in addition, girls from GUNSA and child rights clubs have also adopted some classes at Kakumdo school in the true Wesley Girls High School tradition to give remedial lessons to them.
The CEO noted that a country's wealth lies in its human resources and expressed regret that the number of children unable to go beyond Primary/JSS is greater than those who gain admission to SSS.
Earlier in her report, the headmistress of the school, Mrs. Nancy Thompson, pointed out that despite the sanction imposed on some heads of first class secondary schools in Cape Coast by Ghana Education Service (GES) for charging unauthorized fees, they would continue to work harder than before to ensure students attain excellence in their academic pursuit.
Mrs. Thompson said "We cannot allow the sanction to deter us from the work we are committed to do for our schools since we cannot disappoint our students," she stressed.
It would be recalled that the GES last September sanctioned some heads of second cycle institutions for billing students too much for items not approved by the GES Council.
The items are mosquito nets, mattresses, building fees and others.
Present were Mrs. Gladys Asmah, Minister for Women's Affairs and the Central Regional Minister, Hon. Isaac. E. Edumadze.
