Hohoe (V/R), May 27, GNA – Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has described the Hohoe Evangelical Presbyterian (E.P) Senior High School (HEPSS) as one of the best nationwide.
He said the achievements of the school, especially academic performance, were commendable.
Dr Bawumia, speaking at the climax of the school’s 60th Anniversary noted that education sat at the core of the government’s agenda.
He said the performance of the school in the WASSCE results for the past three years showed that teaching and learning were truly effective in the school.
Dr Bawumia noted that HEPSS was a fountain of knowledge and foundation of the future as verbalised in the school’s anthem.
He said the contributions of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana in nation building was monumental adding that it had its name cast in gold, when it came to education.
Dr Bawumia said it was imperative that the young ones were nurtured so that they lacked nothing in their education, when they grew up.
« If this country must move forward in the right direction, we must invest in the education, which is the only platform for preparing nation builders of tomorrow. »
Dr Bawumia noted that other sectors were important but investment in education was more because every legacy being built today would surely be destroyed if there was failure in training those who would manage the legacies in the future.
He said the Free Senior High School policy had led to an increase in enrolment, while the number of graduates was twice or more than in the past.
Dr Bawumia said a remarkable thing about the policy was the achievement of gender parity in schools including HEPSS.
He noted that the government was aware of the challenges of the policy including infrastructure deficit, which were being addressed nationwide by putting up classroom blocks, which HEPSS was a beneficiary.
Dr Bawumia urged the students to uphold the discipline they exhibited and believe they could achieve anything if they got their mind to it, while urging parents to support teachers to ensure discipline.
He said the government had noticed the school’s challenges and would tackle them, adding that he would take over the provision of uniforms and equipment of the School’s Cadet Corps.
Mr Franklin K. Amesimeku, Headmaster of the school, said HEPSS had grown steadily since its inception with current enrolment at 3,369 with 1,491 boys and 1,878 girls, while teaching and non-teaching staff stood at 177.
He said the school’s most recent WASSCE results could be compared to the best schools in the country.
Mr Amesimeku said despite the successes, the school was faced with challenges such as vehicles since there was no functional bus to convey students nor a pick-up truck for administrative works.
He said there were insufficient bungalows to accommodate staff on campus, inadequate desks, need for more dormitories to accommodate students, boreholes and water storage facilities and expansion of the dining hall.
He said the new administration block under construction since 2020 needed to be completed and called on the GETFund to speedily complete the edifice for the growth of the school.
Mr Amesimeku appealed to benevolent individuals and groups to help the school hire more security personnel.
He also called for a place purposely designed for practical lessons to be put up for students pursuing courses in Home Economics to enable them carry out their practical lessons.
Mr Eric Norgbey, President of HEPSS Old Students Association (HEPSSOSA), said the Association had planned to solicit funds and help construct a 5,000 capacity multi-purpose Assembly Hall for the school to reduce the problem of gathering space.
He said the Association had also renovated the school’s dining hall, which had not been in a good state for some time now.
Master Attara Kwesi Prosper, School Prefect, said their tenure had seen to the formation the Red Cross Society as well as the increase in number of nurses at the school’s sick bay to three to reduce pressure at the bay.
The Anniversary was on the theme: « HEPSS @ 60, Reflecting on our Journey, Inspiring New Directions, The role of Stakeholders. »