OLA SSS launches celebration of 50th anniversary

Alhaji Rashid Bawa, Deputy Minister of Education (MOE) on Saturday said a nation which ignores quality education for its female population could not have a good foundation for development.

Launching the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the OLA Secondary School at Ho he said, " a holistic education for girls must, therefore, focus on the fostering of attitudes and values conducive to tolerance and respect for all".

The celebration, which would be held in February next year, is under the theme "50 years of holistic girls education- challenges for the future".

Alhaji Bawa said as parents and teachers, the nation could produce future heads of state, doctors, lawyers, engineers, accountants, businesswomen and successful farmers among the girl children currently in the school.

He said the government realising the importance of girl-child education had put in place structures to ensure effective and efficient realisation of the MOE's vision on girl-child education.

Alhaji Bawa said many District Assemblies spent 45 per cent of their Common Fund on education and ensured that 50 per cent of scholarships went to girls.

He said in 2001, 954,356, representing 47 per cent of girls were enrolled in primary schools, 699,353 also representing 45 per cent as total enrolment in Junior Secondary Schools (JSS).

The Minister gave the figure at Senior Secondary Schools and the Universities of girls enrolled as 83,288 making 40 per cent and 9,863 representing 27 per cent respectively.

He said the Ministry was in the process of procuring books on HIV/AIDS for distribution to libraries in the districts and all Senior Secondary Schools.

"It is expected that in five years, we would have significantly reduce the incidence of new infections among teachers, students and the entire workforce, " he said.

Commending the school for its strides in education and socio-economic development, he advised the school authorities to focus on the changing roles of women in the society not only as wives and parents but as workers and women destined to occupy key leadership positions in the global village.

He said the influence of the electronic media has immensely affected the traditional and cultural values of the nation, adding that the type of secular education offered in schools should be qualitative enough to meet the challenges of modern society.

Mrs Philomena Afeti, Headmistress of the school said a one billion cedis fund had been set up to raise money towards refurbishment of infrastructure and facilities before the school turned 50 in February 2004.

She said like most of the old schools in the country, classrooms, dormitories and staff bungalows have become inadequate due to the growing student population.

She said at the moment, student population stood at 950 with 40 teachers and 54 non-teaching staff.

Mrs Doris Adadevoh-Ablo, President of Past Old Girls Association (POGA) appealed to the all year groups to adopt any of the school projects and develop it before the celebration.

She said POGA would tar all the roads on the school compound to give the school a new look and commended the USA branch for their contribution towards the development of the school.

Most Reverend Francis Anane Lodonu, Bishop of the Ho Diocese of the Catholic Church, who chaired the ceremony said the Church had been involved in primary and secondary education in Ghana for the past 120 years.