Bolgatanga, Oct 11, GNA - The Historical Society of Ghana on Monday awarded five students of the Bolgatanga Senior High School for emerging winners of a national competition organised by the Society. Mamuna Awuroh was first, Kunkuri Eric Denbang, second, Achanga Irene, third, Apolala A Priscilla, fourth and Naab Zitta, fifth and they were given books, cash and certificates.

Dr Samuel Ntewusu, a Lecturer at the History Department of the University of Ghana, presented the award on behalf of Professor Irene Odotei, the President of the Historical Society of Ghana. He said the award was to motivate students to read history at the university.

Dr Ntewusu said it was not true that people who studied history found it difficult to get jobs, adding that some of those who read the subject were working with financial institutions and big companies. He said history as a subject was now shifting from Political History to Social and Economic History that makes people to appreciate the study of the subject well as far as development is concerned. Dr Ntewusu said most of the ground breaking researches carried out in the country and beyond were conducted by historians. He said in the 1950s when the Society was formed it was called Historical Society of Gold Coast and Togoland and was later called the Historical Society of Ghana.

Dr Ntewusu said plans were advanced to hold a national policy conference on how to make history part of school curriculum especially basic schools and senior high schools.

The Headmaster of the Bolgatanga Senior High School, Mr Dedacus Afegra, said the students in the School apart from excelling in history had also been making impact at the West Africa Examination Certificate Examination.

He said last year the school scored 98.56% at the West Africa School Certificate Examination and attributed the success to a team of young graduates who have been sacrificing to hold extra classes for the students.

Mr Afegra said at this year's National Best Teachers Award two teachers from school, Mr Raymond Issahaku and Mr Ben Noah Azure, emerged the best in French and Mathematics and Science respectively. He commended Mr Daud Braimah, the history teacher of the school, for contributing to the success of the five students.