Akuse Methodist Senior High Tech cries for technical facilities

Akuse (E/R) March 20, GNA - The authorities of the Akuse Methodist Senior High Technical School (AMEST), at the weekend appealed to Ghana Education Service (GES) to equip the educational facility with technical and vocational workshops to facilitate teaching and learning.

"It is not uncommon to find teachers and their students looking for places to have their demonstration lessons," Mr Seth Appiah Nyantakyi, Headmaster said. He was speaking at the 4th Speech and Prize-Giving Day of the School at Akuse in the Eastern Region on the theme: 93Achieving the Millennium Development Goals: The Role of Secondary Education." "Ladies and Gentlemen, it would interest you to know that out of the 85 teachers that we have, only five stay on campus. The rest are at the mercy of landlords; with some commuting daily from as far as Afienya.

"The need for bungalows for our teachers on campus cannot be overstated," he stressed. Mr Nyantakyi asked the GES and other stakeholders to help upgrade the school's science laboratories to be able to offer pure science programme and provide fence wall to check truancy and encroachment of lands of the academic institution.

Other problems of the school he called for attention, include the provision of boys' dormitory, dining hall complex and scholarship for brilliant but needy students. He said AMEST founded in 1991 with 40 students now has a population of 1,151 girls and 998 boys. The school which offer courses in Agriculture Science; General Arts; Business; Home Economics; Technical and Visual Arts, recorded 100 pass in the last West African Senior Secondary Schools Certificate Examinations in 2009.

Dr Appiah Kubi, Regional Minister, whose speech was read on his behalf, noted that secondary and technical education played a crucial role in the process towards the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

He said the MDGs could be achieved through the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, universal primary education, promotion of gender equality and empowerment of women. Right Reverend Albert Ofoe-Wright, Chairman of the Board of Governors of AMEST lauded the pioneering role of the founding fathers of the school including the Methodist Church and expressed the hope that on-going projects on campus would be completed soon to promote the Better Ghana Agenda. Master Albert Tamakloe, Senior School Prefect appealed to parents to pay school fees on time to avoid the undue interference in the academic pursuit of their children. Sidelights of the Day was an exhibition of the art and architectural designs of the students and military drills by the school cadet as well as musical performance by the school choir and Ace Musician Akosua Agyepong, which attracted a lot of applause. 20 March 11