St. Anne’s Senior High/Vocational School launches 60th anniversary celebrations

The St. Anne's Senior High/Vocational School, the leading vocational training school in Lower Manya Krobo in the Eastern Region, on Saturday, May 27, 2023, launched its 60th anniversary at the St. Thomas Aquinas Senior High School in Accra.

The ceremony held under the theme, 'quality practical skills training, a tool for self-reliance,' saw both new and past students present. Delivering her welcome address, the principal of the school, sister Scholastica Nsiah noted that the launch was the first of the series of events to mark the celebrations, adding that 60 years in the life of any institute was worth celebrating.

The school offers various programs in Hospitality and Catering Management, Fashion and Design Technology, Home Economics, General Arts, Business, Cosmetology, Electrical Technology, Building and Gas Fitting and Architectural Drafting.

The special guest of honour and Sipim of Manya-Aklomuase, Dr. Nene Narh Terkpetey II congratulated the school's management for their exemplary role in training young girls for the future. The traditional leader and philanthropist who has over the years supported the school in diverse ways promised to continue to contribute his quota towards uplifting the school.

The guest speaker at the event, who is with the Fashion Department of the Koforidua Technical University, Dr. (Mrs.) Dymphna Bakker-Edoh stressed the need to enhance practical skills training in the country. According to the astute fashion designer, acquiring the required practical training places one
in an advantageous position even during hard times.

"It is important to note that practical skill training is an important tool in walking the path of self-reliance. We hear of difficult living conditions people experience mostly because they are unemployed and hence, struggle to make ends meet…however, once you have acquired good and quality practical skills training, you can be deemed to have the upper hand. This is because there's always going to be a part of you that will aid you in fending for yourself when
the need arises", she said.

Dr. (Mrs.) Dymphna Bakker-Edoh dismissed perceptions that vocational and technical skills were professions for school dropouts and cited cases of various prominent people whom she said went on to establish businesses, became self-reliant, resourceful and created numerous job avenues after acquiring vocational and technical skills, adding that most developed counties have become self-reliant and resourceful due to vocational and technological skills.

According to her, many past students of the St. Annes' Senior High/Vocational School have entered into job creation and set up private schools, with others finding their way into either formal or informal institutions.

She urged the current students to take their training seriously to enable them to earn critical employable skills for the future.

Former Ghana Ambassador to the UK and now Chairman of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Isaac Osei, speaking as chairman for the occasion, urged the students to count themselves lucky for benefiting from vocational education.

"If you're in any of the creative areas, then you're blessed because what it is doing is predisposing you to have the entrepreneurial skills which we need in this country," said Isaac Osei.

He urged the students to see themselves as employers and not job seekers or employees and harness the skills they have acquired to their benefit.

Speaking on behalf of the executive president of the 1998 year group and old students of the St. Anne's Old Students Association (SAVOC), Rosemary Darkwa said the anniversary marked 60 years of extraordinary service to society, stressing that the event offered the old students the opportunity to honour what the school has achieved while laying the foundations for the years to come.

She implored the current students to serve as ambassadors of their alma mater to maintain the culture of discipline, integrity, and patience inculcated in them.

The old student commended the principal and the entire members of staff of the school for their steadfastness and commitment to building lives and pledged the continuous support of the school in whatever capacity it could.

Rosemary Darkwa furthered that plans were in place to commence a mentorship program for the students and urged them to participate in reaping the benefits.

A special anniversary cloth was unveiled ahead of the main celebrations in November 2023, while fundraising was also held in aid of the construction of a school kitchen.

Establishment of St. Annes' Senior High/Vocational School

The St. Anne's Senior High/Vocational School was established as St. Anne's vocational institute by the late Bishop Joseph Oliver bowers SVD, the second catholic bishop of the then catholic diocese of Accra, in 1663.

It was previously situated at Agomanya before being moved to its present location at Nuaso with four (4) girls and officially registered by the Ministry of Education as a private educational institute on June 2, 1965.

Bishop Bowers' aim in setting up the institute was to offer an alternative to deprived girls who could not further their education after completing elementary school.