By Michael Owusu Duodu
Techimantia (A/R), Feb. 16, GNA – Samuel Otu Presbyterian Senior High School at Techimantia in the Ahafo Region has launched its 50th anniversary with an appeal to stakeholders in education for the provision of infrastructure to promote effective teaching and learning.
Mr Evans Asare, the Headmaster of the School, in an address said the institution, which was founded in 1974, and has had a steady growth in numbers and other achievements over the years, lacked boys’ dormitories, dining hall, and assembly hall to enhance learning.
“I am, therefore, passionately appealing to the government, the municipal Assembly, traditional leaders, corporate and religious bodies, old students of the school, as well as philanthropists, to urgently come to the aid of the school, to overcome its infrastructural deficits, in order to promote effective teaching and learning to propel the school to greater heights,” he stated.
Recounting the history of the school, he said, it was established by Nana Kwaku Boateng, now Nana Boateng Antwi, Dwantoahene of Duayaw Nkwanta Traditional Council, to bring second-cycle education to the doorsteps of the people of Techimantia and its environs in the Tano South Municipality.
Mr Asare stated that the school was started under the name Evangelical Technical School with 45 students and five teachers and in 1980 handed over to the Presbyterian Church of Ghana and named Presbyterian Day/Commercial School.
He said it received recognition from the Ministry of Education as a public institution under the Ghana Education Service and Mr Danso Kwapong was appointed the first Headmaster of the school within the 1984/85 academic year.
In 2017, the school was renamed Samuel Otu Presbyterian Senior High School in honour of the late Rev Samuel Otu, Presbyterian Minister who died as a Martyr while serving in the area, the headmaster stated.
Mr Asare said the institution currently has a student population of 1,350 (576 boys and 774 girls), 1,093 boarders and 257 days students. It presently has a staff strength of 129 teaching and non-teaching staff.
Nana Boateng Antwi, the Founder of the School and the Dwantoahene of Duayaw Nkwanta Traditional Council on his part expressed happiness for his dream come true.
Mr Collins Offinam Takyi, the Tano South Municipal Chief Executive and an old boy of the school who narrated the ordeal they went through in the school said “You now have a more conducive and enabling schooling environment.
“This must motivate you to do even better and rise higher on the social ladder,” he told the current, and prospective crop of students at the school.
Rev Benjamin Appiah, Bono-Ahafo Presbytery Chairperson of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, and Chairman of the school’s Board of Directors, later unveiled and dedicated the 50th Anniversary Logo to the glory of God.
The celebration is under the theme: “Providing Quality and Holistic Education: The Role of Stakeholders” and the launch was chaired by Odeifo Ampong Kromantang II, Krontihene of the Techimantia Traditional Area.
GNA