Category: Education

Care Net Ghana, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), has handed over an 800-capacity dormitory to the Hohoe Evangelical Presbyterian Senior High School (HEPSS). The dormitory, which would house female students, was constructed at the cost of GHS2.8 million with funding from the Spain-based AEXCID, SED (Solidaridad Education Desarrollo), DIPUTACION DE HUELVA OBJECTIVOS and Kikis Court Resort, Hohoe. Mr Patrick Ahumah, Executive Director of Care Net Ghana, said the selfless contributions of the donors driven by a shared vision had transformed the dream of a safe and nurturing living space for the girls into a tangible reality. He said the edifice was more than just bricks and mortar but it embodied hope, empowerment and the promise of a better future. 'Within these walls, our girls will find not only physical shelter but also the nurturing environment, support, and guidance they need to flourish and thrive.' Mr Ahumah said education had always been the cornerstone of Care Net Ghana's mission and the new dormitory block stood as a testament to its unwavering commitment to providing quality education and a conducive living environment for the girls. He said they believed that by investing in the education of the girls, the Organisation was investing in the transformation of their lives, families, and the entire community. Mr Ahumah said the Organisation had undertaken educational projects in the Akatsi South, Akatsi North, South Tongu, Biakoye, Jasikan and Hohoe Municipality. He expressed gratitude to the educators, mentors and staff, who would be the guiding lights for the girls, noting that their passion, dedication and tireless efforts would play an instrumental role in shaping the lives of the students. Mr Ahumah urged the female students to dream fearlessly, learn passionately, and grow into confident and empowered individuals while embracing the opportunities ahead. He urged them to also seize each moment and never doubt the incredible potential that resided within them. Mr Ahumah called on the Man agement of the School to maintain the edifice to enhance its life span. He commended all who had played effective roles to ensure the completion of the project. The edifice has eight large rooms with each room expected to accommodate 100 girls, four storage rooms with an 18-seater toilet facility and a bathroom to accommodate more than 20 girls at a time. Mr Franklin Amesimeku, Headmaster of the School, noted that the School faced challenges as it craved for dormitory facilities. He said in 2014 when the situation became dire, the government came to their aid with a 14-unit boys dormitory project, which was completed and commissioned in the year 2020 and gave the school some relief. Mr Amesimeku said looking at the girls' side, the condition was terrible because hundreds of female students would have to be accommodated in few rooms. He expressed gratitude to Mr Ahumah and the donors for removing to a very large extent, an albatross of congestion from Management's neck while commending the former P.T.A C hairman, Mr Denis Dzordor, the brain behind the project. Mr Amesimeku said the School was in need of metal beds to stock the newly-built edifice as well as a fence for disciplinary and security reasons and providing street lights and other bulbs to help lighten up the campus. He said the efforts of the old students to aid learning and teaching in the School had been commendable. Right Rev. Dr. Lt. Col (rtd.) Bliss Divine Agbeko, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana (EPCG), bemoaned the lack of old-aged monumental edifice in the country. He tasked the School to get an Estate Officer, who would ensure the longevity of the edifice. Right, Rev Agbeko said the Church would also continue to do its best in supporting the quality education of students. Togbe Dokpo III, Representing Togbega Gabusu VII, Paramount Chief of Gbi Traditional Area, expressed gratitude to all who supported the project. He said the Traditional Council would continue to support the Management o f the School. In a separate development, the 1988 year group of the School led by its President, Madam Helen Dzide, presented a 10,000 litre polytank to aid water supply to the dormitory. Source: Ghana News Agency

The Centre for Education, Innovation and Development (CEIB), has awarded winners in the High School Poetry Competition in Accra. In all, three winners and their runners-up were awarded in three categories. Princess Hanna Lomotey, from the Wesley Grammar Senior High School (SHS), won the Environment Category with Elisabeth Frimpong from Accra High SHS and Agyarewaa Mensah-Bonsu, from Accra Girls SHS winning second and third places respectively. For the Gender category, Danielle-Marie Acquah-Allotey, from Brainy Brain School, emerged as the winner whilst Danielle Owusu Afari from Accra Girls SHS and Oliver Osei Owusu placed second and third respectively. King David Quaye, a student of Accra Academy SHS, won the Corruption Category while Anne-Marie Baiden from Accra Girls SHS and Reginald Ankrah from Wesley Grammar SHS placed second and third respectively. For their prizes, the overall winners in each category received a laptop and a certificate whilst the second runners-up received a Samsung Galaxy Tablet and certificate each and the third place, GHC 1000 and certificate each. The Accra Academy SHS received a certificate for winning the School with the Highest Number of Contestants. Wesley Grammar SHS also received a certificate for being the Overall Best Contestant School. Ms Selina Torrison Saaka, Country Lead, CEIB, said the primary objective of the competition was to promote and celebrate the literary talents of SHS students while fostering a culture of critical thinking and creativity among the youth. She said the competition aligned with the objectives outlined in the Education Strategic Plan (ESP 2018-2030) for Ghana, which emphasised the improvement of teaching and learning quality across all educational levels and the development of competency-based skills. 'As we strive to reorient our learners and education stakeholders towards achieving these objectives, we recognise the vital role that media plays in facilitating this process,' the Country Lead stated. Ms Saaka said despite the significance of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education, communication and language development played a crucial role in reducing poverty and expanding lifelong learning opportunities. She said it ensured a well-rounded education for students. Mr Stephen Abamfo, Greater Accra Regional Director of Education, said the three genres of literature, Prose, Poetry and Drama highlighted culture. He noted that Poetry in particular tried to correct some ills and praised good deeds in society. 'We, the Educational Directorate so far as Greater Accra is concerned, is going to support the system, I'm going to support it in a way that next year it is going to spread throughout the whole region and all schools will come on board,' Mr Abamfo stated. Mrs Beauty Nartey, Country Director of Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC), said corruption, which had a cross-cutting effect on all aspects of life, was a societal scourge hindering progress and undermining justice. 'When the Country Lead informed me that most of the contestants were focused on corruption, I was so impressed because it means that our youth are paying attention to Ghana's problems and are interested in helping address them,' she said Mrs Nartey said the voices of the poets possessed the transformative power to effect change by making their poetry not just an artistic expression but the catalyst for societal transformation. The Country Director said citizens must recognise the pivotal role of education in nurturing ethical leadership and social responsibility. 'GACC is committed to fostering partnerships with educational institutions and organisations like CEID to empower our youth, instilling in them values of integrity, accountability, and ethical conduct,' she said. Source: Ghana News Agency

Dr Samuel Twumasi-Ankrah, President of Heritage Christian College has urged students to portray good morals and have a spiritual foundation to be successful. He said adherence to moral and spiritual principles formed the foundation of their character and had a positive impact and endurance on both their personal and professional endeavors. Dr Ankrah made the call at the 5th graduation ceremony of the University at Amasaman, Accra. 'As you step into the next chapter of your lives, remember that success built on a solid moral and spiritual foundation is enduring,' he said. He said: 'your conviction in God's truths and commitment to moral and spiritual principles will serve as a compass, guiding you in making ethical decisions.' 'Upholding integrity and honesty in all your pursuits will not only lead to personal success but also contribute to the betterment of the community and society', he added. The President charged students to be resilient in God and rely on spiritual guidance for strength as they fac e the world in these difficult times. 'In times of adversity, let your faith be the anchor that steadies you, enabling you to face challenges with courage, hope, and perseverance,' he said. He encouraged students to build meaningful relations to be successful and be impactful to others, indicating that networking had become the new tool in securing a better career and exposure to opportunities. He advised students to strive to leave a legacy of purpose, where their achievements align with the greater good and the glory of God. 'Let your success be a testament to the transformative power of faith and adherence to moral and spiritual principles' he added. Meanwhile, 66 students met the requirements for the award of bachelor's degree in various accredited programmes offered by the University. He said the University had been granted by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission for the running of the following Masters and Bachelor Degree programmes: MSc. Human Resource Management, MSc. Accounting and Taxation, MSc. Accounting and Finance, BSc. Nursing, BSc. Information Security and, BSc. Accounting with Computing, BBA Entrepreneurship and Technology, and BBA Logistics and Supply Chain Management. He said the University had introduced a Scholarship Endowment Fund aimed at supporting brilliant but needy students and they had completed the construction of the Fair Learning Commons and the Fair CEPE Building. 'These facilities stand as a testament of our commitment to providing an enhanced and conducive environment for teaching, learning and administration,' he said. Source: Ghana News Agency

To make quality education accessible to all, Heritage Christian College University (HCCU), has launched a Scholarship Endowment Fund to cater for needy, physically challenged, but brilliant students, with the aim of becoming innovative individuals in the country.

The main objective of the fund was to provide financial assistance to less privileged students and those from underserved families and communities and to attract and retain high-calibre academic and administrative staff.

The University targets to invest GHc20,000,000 as a pre-start to invest in currently continuing brilliant and innovative students.

At the lunch, invited dignitaries and participants donated almost half of the targeted amount.

Dr Victor Boadu, Chairman of the Scholarship Committee, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, said scrapping fees had become a challenge for the smooth running of the University due to the rapid increase of needy but brilliant students, hence, there was a need to create a scholarship fund to serve as an investment for students and the future.

'The fund was to promote academic excellence, morality and service through teaching and research with a Christian worldview,' he said.

He called on all churches, non-state bodies, and non-governmental organisations to support investment in students through this scholarship endowment fund.

'Investing in a student's education is an investment for the society and country for economic growth', he added.

He suggested that stakeholders, who wish to support can adopt students and pay their tuition for their four years stay on campus, 'this would impact students, families and society in general.'

However, the University has bursary scholarships as well as sponsorship options for departmental and full scholarships.

Professor Williams Atuilik, Vice President, and Provost of HCCU said hardship should not be a handicap for people who are endowed with talent and skills to progress, therefore, the need for the fund was important.

He said the University sought to educate entrepreneurial ethical leaders but sometimes students are faced with financial challenges, hence, through this endowment fund, less privileged students would be supported.

He said the University would reach out to other institutions like churches, hospitals, agencies, individuals, corporate bodies, and private sectors to be able to reach the target as a starting point for the scholarship to be enrolled.

He encouraged students to learn hard to be enrolled on the scholarship fund for quality education.

'The University teaches professionalism, and Christian moral values to nurture students' behaviour in a Godly manner,' he added.

Dignitaries present at the launch commended the leadership of the University for the efforts of championing quality education in the country and called on all to endeavour to support the endowment fund to enable more students to benefit and access quality education.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Free Senior High School Secretariat says it has resolved 60 to 70 per cent of placement issues for first-year students across the country. The Secretariat through its resolution centres received over 6,000 issues, mainly for students who were not placed in any school and those who wanted to change schools due to location. Nana Afrah Sika Mensah, the Deputy Coordinator of the Free Senior High School Secretariat said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra. The Deputy Coordinator said students with single aggregate were to select schools under category 'A', while students with aggregate 10 to 14 are to select from category 'B.' Students with aggregate 15 and above are to choose schools from category 'C' and select the programme for their courses. She said the Secretariat staff were working on the issues, and within 24 hours, the challenges would be addressed. According to her, the exercise had been successful and urged parents to exercise patience while the Secretariat addressed the challenges. She said even though admission had started on December 4, the Secretariat was optimistic about addressing their issues as early as possible, adding that the first and second weeks were for orientation. Nana Mensah said schools selected on the Self-Placement Portal could be changed as many times as the candidate wished on the portal until they enrolled. She assured the public, guardians and students, especially those who could not be matched with their choices during the automatic placement, that all schools with vacancies had been uploaded on the portal for students to select from during self-placement without hitches. Nana Mensah cautioned parents not to pay money to anybody since the exercise was free. The GNA observation revealed that the solution centres are collecting contacts and other relevant details from parents and guardians to address their issues. A statement from the Ministry of Education said that out of the total number of 598,839 results received from WAEC, 585,797 candidates qualified to be placed. Source: Ghana News Agency