Lolobi (O/R), April 3, GNA – The St. Mary’s Seminary Senior High School Old Boys Association (SMOBA) has commissioned the first phase of Facelift Projects for their alma mater to enhance teaching and learning.
The projects are a renovated 10-Room storey dormitory block, a newly constructed 8-cubicle bathhouse, a new mechanised borehole, a 10,000-litre water storage tank and 30 high-specification slightly used computers.
Reverend John Ntim Fordjour, the Deputy Minister of Education, speaking at the ceremony held at Lolobi, commended the Association for the support toward the growth of the school.
He said the school would receive the necessary support to become a model to churn out academically sound students with the essential values and morals for society development.
Rev Fordjour commended the leadership of the Catholic Church for the continuous support in maintaining very high academic and moral standards in the various schools.
He noted that the academic performance of the school was commendable and urged the students to perform better, adding that it was important that a parent must be confident of the chances of his or her ward’s academic progress.
Rev Fordjour said he had taken note of the requests made by the school to support and improve academic performance and would offer the necessary support.
He noted that in the drive to expand education infrastructure, the government initiated 2,009 infrastructure projects in all pre-tertiary institutions in the last five years and in particular, 1,132 projects at the second-cycle institutions with 730 completed while others were at various stages of completion.
Mr James Kwasi Oberko, President, SMOBA, noted that the stakeholders, including the students, staff, management and old students of the school, had a duty to fulfil toward ensuring the growth of the school.
Mr Oberko urged the Board of the school, the chiefs and the people to offer what they could to help in the development and growth of the school.
He said the Association was looking at giving a facelift to their alma mater not only in terms of infrastructure but with everything that was needed to facilitate teaching and learning to produce encouraging results.
Mr Oberko noted that the facelift project was an ongoing one and urged all stakeholders to ensure that the students achieve the academic and self-discipline the school was noted for.
Reverend Father Felix M.K Akpa, the Headmaster of the School, noted that a total of 270 students were presented for the 2021 WASSCE and 72 per cent passed in the English Language, 90 in Core Mathematics, 100 in Integrated Science and 85 in Social Studies.
He noted that despite the performances, the school had challenges, including not being a beneficiary in any of the Free Senior High School projects.
Rev Fr Akpa said a 30-year-old GETFund uncompleted classroom block, 20-year-old GETFund uncompleted dormitory block, 7-year-old GETFund uncompleted Assembly Hall and 7-year-old GETFund Administration block needed to be completed to enhance effective and efficient teaching and learning.
He noted that the roads leading to the school, lack of headmaster and staff bungalow, inadequate furniture, land encroachment issues, dilapidated science laboratory, lack of sickbay, lack of school fence walls and lack of buses were also major issues facing the school.
Rev Fr Akpa appealed to all stakeholders, old students and benevolent organisations to support the school and expressed gratitude to the Old Boys for their contributions.
Dr Joshua Makubu, the Oti Regional Minister, said procurement processes would soon commence developing the school roads, adding a Feeder Road Engineer was brought to the school to package the roads to the Roads Ministry to see how they could be awarded and tarred.
He noted that the school was a great source of pride as a second-cycle institution in the Oti region and there was a need to work on the development of the school and called for stakeholder involvement.
Nana Kugbeadzor-Bakateyi II, the Oti Regional Director of Education, urged the students to take their studies seriously and emulate the gesture of their predecessors.
The projects are funded by SMOBA, Fidelity Bank, Lampkin International- USA and Rev Fr Dr Richard Baafi.
GNA