Akim Swedru Senior High School has celebrated their 50th Anniversary of the school’s existence.
The theme for the occasion was “Free Senior High School, the Role of Stakeholders in Promoting Quality Education”.
Akim Swedru Senior High School was established as secondary school when the then government, Dr. Akwasi Abrefa Busia saw the need for secondary education in preparing individuals to be trained as teachers.
There was a shift from the 4-year teacher training model to the post secondary training of teachers in specialized areas of academic discipline. This led to the need for more secondary schools and thus a number of 4-year teacher training colleges were transformed into secondary schools between 1969 and 1970.
Among these transformed Teacher Training Colleges was Akim Swedru Teacher Training College, which gave birth to Akim Swedru Secondary in October 1970 as a day/boarding co-ducational and non-denominational institution.
The school started at the venue of the Teacher Training College in the center of the town which is presently the Akim Swedru Circuit Court.
Under the Supreme Military Council, a number of infrastructural project were develop on a land donated by Nananom of Akim Bosome Traditional Council of Akim Swedru to build a new and permanent site for the school.
In 1973, the school moved to the new site’s classroom blocks but continued to host the boarding facilities at the old site till the Boys and Girls dormitories were completed for the entire school to move to its current location during 1975/76 academic year.
The school began with forty-seven (47) boys for the first term. The student population went up to fifty-seven (57) during the second term of 1970/71 academic year.
The school started with only boys during the first year, It became a mixed school during 1971/72 academic year with 18 girls in which thirteen (13) girls admitted into form one and five girls admitted into form two.
The school presented its first batch of students for School Certificate Examination ordinary level in 1975.
The results of the examination were very excellent as many of the students qualified for Sixth Form and were admitted in other schools since the school was not then a Sixth Form School.
By dint of hard work and excellent academic performances the school was elevated to Sixth Form status during 1985/1986 Academic year.
The VISION STATEMENT OF THE SCHOOL.
To turn out God fearing, well-balanced and self confident boys and girls who would be capable of taking the challenges of a dynamic world in their stride, while making the most of every opportunity of development and service to mankind.
The MISSION STATEMENT OF THE SCHOOL
The mission statement of the school is to promote the attainment of high academic standard through proper character training and hard work put in place the framework for boys and girls to develop in the full their God- Giving talents and also develop in them an awareness of their responsibilities to the community and the broader society to which they belong.
Currently, the school has a student population of Two thousand Five Hundred and Forty- Six (2,546) comprising One Thousand Two Hundred and sixty- Four(1,264) boys and One Thousand, Two Hundred and Eighty -Two(1,282) girls. Boarders are One Thousand, Eighty Hundred and Fifty-six(1856) whilst Day students are Six Hundred and Ninety (690).
STAFF STRENGTH
The school has a staff strength of One Hundred and Ninety teaching and non teaching staff made up of One Hundred and Twenty-one (121) permanent tutors and Sixty-Nine(69)Non-Teaching Staff.
CHALLENGES
Mr. Chairman, inadequate infrastructural facilities like Computer Laboratory, Standard Library, Boys Dormitory, and Staff Bungalows among others greatly hinder the smooth running of the school.
The great number of non-residential Staff
in the school makes it very difficult for effective supervision and control in the boarding house. Out of one hundred and ninety (190) Staff members only Twenty -four (24) are resident teachers.
FACILITIES NEEDED
The school therefore needs
.Staff Bungalows
.Well-equipped Computer lab
.12-Unit Block Boys Dormitory
. Standard library
.14- Seater Mini Bus (Toyota Haice ).
The Headmaster of the the school Mr. Afari in his address appeal to the President of the Republic of Ghana through the Vice President Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia to consider AKISS with the above listed facilities to make AKISS one of the more endowed schools in the country
.
Mr. Divine Speaking on behalf of the Education Minister said, 50 years of existence of every institution is worth celebrating and not lesser than an educational institution which has transformed the lives of the people in diverse ways.
It is therefore only befitting to mark this auspicious day with the grandeur it deserves as a school of excellence.
He urged the managers of the school to continue and work hard to improve on the laurels that have so far been achieved.
According to him the theme earmarked for the Golden Jubilee Anniversary CELEBRATION “Free senior high school, the role of the stakeholder in promoting quality education” is succinct and appropriate as it reflects the need for stronger partnership and collaboration in the development of our educational institutions as espoused by the president.
He reiterate the commitment of government to continue to partner with various stakeholders to find solutions to the challenges that confront the educational sector and indeed the entire nation.
Education in Ghana over the years has revolved from the colonial days, when access to education was limited to a very few in the society to a free basic and secondary education under the leadership of H.E Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo Addo.
Education has been the building block of every society in the world hence the need to ensure accessibility, affordability and provision of quality education for all citizens in the country.
We are committed to ensure that all higher education institutions in the country get their fair share of developmental projects to enable them meet increasing enrollment.
He said the NPP government is committed to providing the needed infrastructure and equipment to enable Senior High Schools absorb the expected number of potential students that will be graduating from Junior High Schools to benefit from government’s flagship free education program.
The position of various stakeholders is necessary in promoting quality education under the free senior high education policy.
In ensuring quality education as far as Free SHS policy is concerned Government, School Heads ,Teachers, Parents and other stakeholders must be actively involved in the implementation of the free SHS in their various capacities.
Government has taken the necessary steps and in consultation with stakeholders
to ensure that they prepare adequately to receive the product of the Junior High leavers into the mainstream and stem programmes at junior and senior high schools to improve the learning and teaching of mathematics, science and arts in the schools. These programs are to make Ghana a Science and Technology hub in the future and the center of scientific development in Africa.
It is therefore imperative for all stakeholders within the educational sector to support the government in providing the needed logistics and policy framework for our children to learn and derive the best from educational system.
Mr Kwasi Kwaning Bosompem, who chaired the occasion advised the students to take the studies serious and ensure high discipline in order to achieve their dreams. He tasked them to emulate their successful old students who by dint of hard work and discipline have become responsible citizens in the society contributing to the country’s development.
The Senior Adviser to the president Hon. Osafo Marfo noted that the theme the Planning Committee chose for this Golden Jubilee Anniversary celebration ; Free Senior High School, the Role of the Stakeholder in Promoting Quality Education “. resonates well with the Mission of the School : To produce skilled, knowledgeable and excellent students, equipped with the needed moral discipline to manage the country and the world “.
It is also in line with the school’s vision of “discipline, academic excellence and hard work “
We acknowledged the challenges faced by pre-tertiary education through inaccessibility, unaffordability, and structural discrimination, etc., pose to economic development agenda of countries. This government resolved to remove all the structural barriers to accessing quality education for all.
Hon. Osafo Marfo said they believe that educating every child is the best driver for human dignity and prosperity.
This is the fundamental rationale underpinning the Free SHS Policy -its conception, actualization, and implementation .
Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to address stakeholders in the education sector during the National Education Week.
We need to reposition the present and future generation to be active players on the world stage which continue to tilt towards the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Without the critical mass of educated youth, the needed socio-economic transformation that is underpinned by technological advancement will be at best slow, if not elusive; the Senior Advisor intimated.
Report by Samuel Quao.