Vice President of Ghana, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia
The era where nations relied on natural resources for socio-economic development are over as the World has taken a paradigm shift to a stage where knowledge is fundamentally driving the global economy.
“Thus, nations seeking rapid socio-economic advancement rely on a knowledge-based, rather than a resource-based approach to develop and as such Ghana cannot afford to do anything different”, Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has said.
In this vain, he indicated that government would continue to invest national resources in the development of Ghanaians through policies and programmes that would build the required knowledge needed for the growth of the economy.
Dr Bawumia was speaking as the Guest of Honour at the 141st Speech and prize-giving Day celebration of the Mfantsipim School in Cape Coast on Saturday.
The anniversary celebration which was on the theme: “Delivering Quality Secondary Education in Ghana: a paradigm shift,” brought together people from all walks of life including; eminent old boys, present students and staff, parents and other distinguished personalities from across the country.
The Vice President said the Free SHS policy, restoration of nursing and teacher training allowances, national ID Cards and a National Digital Property Addressing system were deliberate programmes and policies being implemented by the government to make Ghana a buoyant knowledge driven economy.
“If you look at the World today, it is a world dominated by knowledge, it is a knowledge driven global economy. It is not about resources, it is not about gold, diamond, cocoa or oil. It is fundamentally about knowledge” he stated.
Speaking on the theme, the Guest Speaker for the occasion, Mr Robert Fakor Davlo, Turtle Management Director for Commercial Business Development asked government to make the implementation of the free SHS flexible such that other significant stakeholders could genuinely come in to support.
This, he said was necessary to ensure that the aim of the policy to increase access to quality education and to significantly impact national development becomes a reality.
Mr Davlo, an old boy of the 1987 year group postulated that the most relevant paradigm shift in secondary school education was to involve students in the development of policies that directly impacted their experiences in the schools.
“Imagine a national conference where all the senior prefects and other selected students leaders at the secondary school level are brought together to discuss and offer input on shaping aspects of their experiences”.
They are brilliant, they have more brain cells and indeed the World over they are contributing new to the World solutions,why not Ghana” he stated.
Mr Davlo told the students that Ghana had a litany of problems to solve and encouraged them to demonstrate leadership with problem solving orientation.
The Headmaster, Mr Manfred Barton-Odro in his report, called for support to expand the school’s dinning hall as a GETFund expansion project which started in 2008 was yet to be completed.
The situation, he said has compelled students to go for their meals in batches which affected academic work.
The headmaster also appealed for a school bus, a new dormitory block as recent increase in student population had created congestion in the existing dormitories and residential accommodation for teachers.
The 1973-year group, built a 20-seater biogas toilet facility while the 1989-year group commissioned a two storey infirmary building and also donated two tricycles to aid good sanitation in the school.
The sponsoring year groups, 1967,1977, 1987,1997 and 2007-year groups furnished and put finishing touches on the School's multi-purpose building.
