A retired educationist, Mr Kofi Adu Larbi, has called on Ghanaians to make good use of their training and education in their various fields of endeavour.
“If we have all the training and education in the world and yet fail to apply them towards making our lives and those of others better, then we are to be pitied. Let us demonstrate, by words and deeds as individuals and as a nation that we have, through the investment made in us by our parents and institutions, imbibed the life skills to improve on our destinies,” he said.
Mr Larbi was speaking at the 55th Speech and Prize-giving Day of the Ofori Panin Senior High School (OPASS) at Kukurantumi in the Eastern Region.
Success
Mr Larbi, who is also a past student of the school, said success was not an overnight task but the progressive realisation of a predetermined goal and faithfulness in little things.
“Cultivate the habit of reading to give you uncommon understanding and learn from the experiences of others,” he said.
He also advised the students to be disciplined in all their endeavours, saying they should exhibit that quality whether they were going to the dining hall, classroom, sports field or taking part in other school activities.
Challenges
In a speech, the Headmaster of the school, Dr Edmund K. Fianu, said 95 percent of students in the catchment area found the school attractive, making the student population to grow constantly.
For that reason, he said, the main challenge of the school was boarding facilities as buildings meant for teaching staff had been absorbed to be used as dormitories.
He noted that the structures put up in the 1960s to house students have not been expanded except for one additional block constructed for boys in 2010.
Dr Fianu said the school needed a dormitory block for both girls and boys to continue accommodating students from far places, while toilet facilities were needed to slow down pressure on existing ones.
Academic excellence
He said the school continued to make strides in the academic front and that students made the school proud in the 2016 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) by obtaining good results.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Abuakwa North Constituency, Mrs Gifty Twum-Ampofo, in a goodwill message said there was no doubt that 55 years of constantly and persistently rewarding the hard work of the stakeholders of the school was no mean an achievement.
She congratulated past and present Board of Governors, stakeholders, past headmasters, teaching and non-teaching staff, students and traditional leaders in the area on their support.
“You have worked through thick and thin to achieve this great height for the school and I greatly congratulate you on your achievement,” she said.
The Senior Prefect of the school, Master Obed Awintoya Anini, appealed to the government to provide more facilities for the school.
Join GhanaStar.com to receive daily email alerts of breaking news in Ghana. GhanaStar.com is your source for all Ghana News. Get the latest Ghana news, breaking news, sports, politics, entertainment and more about Ghana, Africa and beyond.