The Anglican Senior High School, Kumasi (KASS) last Saturday celebrated its 60th anniversary with a call on the students to be disciplined and study hard to contribute to the success story of the school.
The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, who made the call, said the school could not continue to rely on its past glory and admonished the current students to go the extra mile in their academic pursuit to achieve excellence and build upon what their predecessors did.
“People have come to lay a solid academic foundation for KASS, and it is up to you also to contribute your quota to the successes chalked up by KASS in its 60 years of existence,” he stated.
The ceremony on the theme: “Sixty years of excellence: Inspiring global impact, empowering future leaders” was graced by high-profile dignitaries, old students, parents and other stakeholders within the education sector.
Dignitaries
Notable among them were the Archbishop of the Church of the Province of West Africa (CPWA) and the Internal Province of Ghana (IPG) of the Anglican Church, Most Rev. Dr Cyril Kobina Ben-Smith, and Anglican Bishop of Kumasi Diocese, Rt Rev. Oscar Christian Amoah.
Others were the Member of Parliament for Bosomtwe Constituency and former Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, traditional rulers and heads of sister SHSs in the region.
As part of the event, funds were raised towards the construction of an 18-unit legacy project for the teaching staff, during which Mr Akandoh supported with 1,000 bags of cement and a significant amount of money.
He said, “It is now your turn and your responsibility to do everything possible to sustain the gains of KASS so that others who will also come after you will also do the same”.
Changes in teaching
Mr Akandoh, who is an old student and also the Member of Parliament for Juaboso in the Western North Region, said with the advent of modern technology, there were a lot of changes in terms of teaching and learning methods.
A former Minister of Education, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, who was the guest speaker, said the Anglican Church did not come to Kumasi to merely build chapels but to build character among the people.
He said, “We cannot speak of excellence in education without acknowledging the foundational indomitable role of faith-based organisations.
The partnership between the state and the church has been the bedrock of our intellectual development”.
He said the global economy demands future-ready leaders capable of bridging the gap between high-level theory and grassroots execution, emphasising that excellence is not a static destination but a continuous and relentless pursuit of improvement.
“If you want to create a global impact, you must embrace technology and innovation, refuse to be mere consumers of digital tools, choose instead to be the creators and the problem-solvers who will transform agriculture, energy and health in Ghana,” he stated.
Renewed hope
The Keynote speaker, Rev. Professor Grace Nkansa Asante of the Department of Economics, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, KNUST, called for renewed hope and commitment among stakeholders towards building on the school’s legacy.
“May we never be content with yesterday’s achievements but pursue academic excellence with humility and empower leaders who will serve rather than dominate,” she said.
Changing times
The Headmistress of the school, Rebecca Tetteh, said despite changing times and evolving challenges, the school had remained steadfast in its commitment to academic excellence, discipline, integrity and service.
