A feature by Kojo Aidoo
Accra, Aug 21, GNA – For many old students, going back to Ghana Secondary Technical School (GSTS) is about old friendships, familiar faces and memories of school days.
But this year’s 117th Founders’ Day in Takoradi showed another side of the relationship between the school and its old students. For the Giants, as GSTS alumni are known, giving back increasingly means money, equipment, expertise, mentorship and professional connections.
That raises a bigger question for Ghana’s education sector: Can alumni networks become a more important source of support for schools as government resources come under pressure?
GSTS offers an interesting case.
Giving back is taking new forms
At the Founders’ Day celebration, the GSTS Alumni Association (GAA) recognised eight Giants with the Donor Appreciation Award and three others for their volunteer work.
The GAA North America Chapter was named Chapter of the Year, while Giants 1975, Giants 1985 and Giants 1990 were jointly recognised as Year Groups of the Year.
These were not simply awards for turning up at reunions.
Alumni support has helped the school in areas such as infrastructure, academic development, science and technology, sports, student welfare, staff support and institutional development.
That makes the alumni network an important part of the school’s development story.
Robotics Legacy: A Testament to Impact
One example of how alumni support can extend beyond physical projects is the story of Kelvin Oduro Aboagye, now CEO of Bulkclix and HackScience Technologies.
In 2018, GSTS Giants supported Mr Aboagye to participate in the Robofest World Championship in Michigan, USA, where he served as Captain of the GSTS Robotics Team representing Ghana.
The support gave a young Giant an opportunity to compete on an international platform. He has since continued to build a career in robotics and technology.
It is an example of alumni support that does not end with a new building or piece of equipment. An investment in one student can continue through that person’s career and potentially create opportunities for others.
The diaspora brings another opportunity
The recognition of the GAA North America Chapter also draws attention to what Ghanaian alumni living abroad can contribute to schools back home.
The contribution does not always have to be a cheque.
A Giant working in engineering can help strengthen a technical programme. Someone in technology can provide mentorship or equipment. A business executive can help students gain exposure to the workplace or create internship opportunities.
GSTS has a particularly large pool of professionals to draw from, with its alumni working across engineering, technology, medicine, academia, business, the military, public service and other fields.
That network can be as valuable as financial support.
Alumni support can also be seen in practical interventions that directly affect students and teachers.
One such intervention was the presentation of 405 sets of refurbished furniture to GSTS by the school’s alumni, providing additional furniture for use by the school’s management.
It may appear modest compared with large infrastructure projects, but such interventions address everyday needs within a school and show how alumni contributions can be directed towards practical gaps.
Together with the support given to the school’s robotics team, the furniture donation illustrates the different ways Giants are investing in their alma mater, from supporting students to providing resources that improve the school environment.
Can schools organise alumni money better?
The GSTS experience raises a practical question for Ghana’s education system: Can schools develop more structured ways of attracting and managing alumni investment?
Instead of relying mainly on occasional fundraising, alumni associations could establish dedicated funds for specific needs such as laboratories, workshops, ICT facilities, scholarships, sports infrastructure and student welfare.
Such funds could give old students a clearer picture of where their money is going and what it is achieving.
There is also room for alumni to invest through their professional skills.
An engineer could mentor students interested in engineering. A technology professional could help a school improve its ICT programme. A business owner could support entrepreneurship training. Companies linked to alumni could provide internships and practical learning opportunities.
The question of accountability
But as alumni support grows, so does the need to know how much is being contributed and what happens to it.
Schools and alumni associations that can clearly show how donations are used and the results they produce may find it easier to attract more support.
It would also give a better picture of how much alumni and diaspora networks are already contributing to education in Ghana.
GSTS has a model worth watching
The 117th Founders’ Day celebration, themed “GSTS @117: Developing Resilient Leaders Through Science, Technology and Character,” was more than a celebration of 117 years of history.
The school recognised four distinguished alumni, donors, volunteers, young alumni, sports personalities, teachers and staff, as well as the North America Chapter and three year groups.
Behind those recognitions is a network of former students who continue to put resources and time into the school.
The challenge is to turn that goodwill into something even more organised and sustainable.
For Ghana, the GSTS experience offers a useful lesson. At a time when schools need better laboratories, workshops, technology, infrastructure and stronger links with industry, alumni networks represent a resource that should not be overlooked.
For the Giants, giving back is becoming less about simply remembering where they came from and more about helping decide where the next generation is going.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Odeng Adade