Kufuor inaugurates upgraded Edinaman SSS

Elmina Feb. 24, GNA-A number of modern structures built to upgrade the Edinaman Secondary School at a cost of 22.3 billion cedis were on Saturday inaugurated by President John Agyekum Kufuor at Elmina. These included science and computer laboratories, staff bungalows, dormitories, classroom, library block, an assembly hall and external road networks.
Edinaman Secondary School is among the first batch of 31 secondary schools selected nationwide to benefit from the government's model school programmes, which was instituted two years ago. The next batch of 25 schools in line for upgrading would be developed this year.
President Kufuor noted that the provision of physical facilities alone did not make for a school and said for this reason the government was launching a New Educational Reform to produce adequate quality teachers for the educational system.
He said the model schools were meant to reduce the wide disparity in quality of education in the second cycle schools and thereby reduce pressure on the few well-endowed schools in schools.
President Kufuor said by the upgrading of the schools the government was fulfilling its promise to the people of Ghana and that in return, it expects committed assumption of responsibility by the citizens, especially the youth so that the human resource of the nation would be developed to the highest standard.
He pointed out that the upgrading had had a significant impact on the school's enrolment and that enrolment stood at 580 in 2003/2004 academic year and with the upgrading it increased to 613 in 2005/2006 and again rose to 775 in 2006/2007, adding that, it was envisaged to go beyond 1,000 when the upgrading was fully completed.
He called on district assemblies, chiefs and Parent =96Teacher-Associations (PTA) to look after the institutions well and that they should be maintained for them to last and continue to attract qualified staff for many years.
Mr. Papa Owusu Ankomah Minister of Education, Science and Sports, said the model schools were the greatest legacy President Kufuor would leave for the nation and stressed that excellence could be achieved anywhere in the country provided the needed facilities were provided. He said the facilities provided at the Edinaman secondary school were far better than some of the well endowed schools, adding that it was a reflection of a deep passion and commitment to the human resource development and asked the students to let the provision of the facility manifest in the results they would produce next year.
Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, Minister of State in-charge of Public Sector Reform and MP for Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem (KEEA) thanked the government and chiefs of the Edina traditional area for their efforts which, enhanced the early completion of the upgrading of the school. He enumerated a number of projects, including the dredging of the Benya Lagoon as some of the projects being executed by the government in the district and called on the people to continue to support the government.
Nana Ato Arthur Central Regional Minister, for his part, also commended the government for the development projects being executed in the district and hinted that the road from the Edinaman school junction to the main school has been awarded on contract at a cost of 2.5 billion cedis.
He also gave the assurance that the school would be provided with water to stop students from using school hours in search of water. 24 Feb.07