Kpando (V/R), Nov. 14, GNA – Mr Francis Dominic Kofi Kudolo, Headmaster of the Bishop Herman College, has said management of the school intends to introduce Technical Drawing as an elective subject in the College next academic year.
He said it was observed that some students who were pursuing Engineering programmes in tertiary institutions tend to struggle in some level 100 and 200 courses.
Mr Kudolo speaking during the 69th Speech and Prize-Giving Day celebration of the School in Kpando, noted that the challenges the students were facing was because they had no technical drawing background.
He said the school was not doing badly with regards to academic performance though there was room for improvement.
Mr Kudolo noted that analysis of the 2020 WASSCE results, indicated that out of 610 candidates, 602 passed in all eight subjects, seven in seven subjects while one passed in a subject.
He said agreement between parents for extra tuition, frequent orientation programmes and seminars by the school’s Guidance and Counselling team, class attendance monitoring and establishment of Science and Maths Academy were some programmes aimed at improving academics.
Mr Kudolo noted that students were increasingly becoming sophisticated in committing one offense or the other, adding that, “we are making frantic efforts to improve upon discipline in the school.
“Mobile phone possession and usage in the school is on the rise to the extent that some of them do illegal connections in their dormitories to charge their phones.”
He noted that after the 2021 WASSCE, some students broke into the office of the School’s Senior Housefather and took away some seized mobile phones, attires and an amount of money.
Mr Kudolo said the administration and Assembly Hall complex, which was started in the 1970s was still far from completion and as a result, developed cracks and leakages.
He said the campus road network awarded in 2016 had been abandoned by the contractor after digging some trenches while the construction materials were left on the road and left the campus in a complete mess.
Mr Kudolo said a two-storey dormitory block started around 2010 had been abandoned, the multipurpose block that provided shelter for majority of students as well as houses the school library and bookstore, was in a serious state of disrepair after being awarded in 2016.
He noted that there were inadequate staff bungalows and the school bus breaking down frequently, were other challenges the school faced.
Mr Kudolo expressed gratitude to the old students of the school, government and all stakeholders for their immense contribution towards education in the College.
The celebration was on the theme: “Excellent Secondary Education Delivery in the midst of Covid-19: Prospects and Challenges”.
Professor Ben Honyenuga, Vice Chancellor of the Ho Technical University, said the Covid-19 had necessitated a swift transition to online teaching and use of virtual platforms.
He said the transition had exposed weaknesses in the educational systems in the area of development and use of distance learning technologies, because face-to-face teaching offered more opportunities for student-teacher interactions that were difficult to replicate virtually.
Prof Honyenuga said the shift was leaving a larger percentage of students in rural areas unreached due to infrastructural deficits and the digital divide.
He said the impact of the pandemic could worsen the fortunes and hinder the delivery of excellent education to young people if adequate measures were not put in place to safeguard the gains achieved so far.
Prof Honyenuga called for the deployment of a blended mode of teaching and learning both face-to-face and virtual interactions, which required resources and effective coordination.
He urged the students to be self-disciplined, which was key to overcoming any social or academic difficulties that might confront them in their course of studies.
Dr Michael Setor Osae, BHOBU National President, noted that the old students would continue to support the school as well as mentor students and past students.
He revealed that plans were advanced to raise money ahead of the school’s 70th anniversary in 2022.
Togbe Dake IV, Chief of Kpando Tsakpe Deveme, said the chiefs and people of the Akpini State thanked the Catholic Church for the many interventions done to improve their lives including the establishment of the College, which had educated many citizens.
He commended the past and present headmasters, staff and all stakeholders whose efforts had contributed to the growth of the school called for the mantle to be kept up.
Mr Geoffrey Badasu, Kpando Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), noted that the government’s Free SHS policy coupled with equitable access to secondary education would align teacher retooling with technology enhanced methods of learning and assessment practices.
He said it was a vision to supply the school with supplementary teaching and learning materials, relevant textbooks for the library and desktops and laptops to enhance effective teaching and learning as well as improve ICT education.
He pledged the Assembly’s support for the school.
Prizes were given to deserving students in departments, core subjects and overall best students in each year while the 1990/92 batch also presented prizes in three categories to deserving students.
Bishop Herman College currently has a student population of 2,337 with 121 teachers and 47 non teachers.
GNA