Mamfe Methodist Girls SHS cries for help - Dining hall, others major challenges

The Mamfe Methodist Girls Senior High School (MEGHIS) in the Eastern Region is currently grappling with three major challenges.

The challenges are a dilapidated dining hall, insufficient campus residential facilities for teachers and inadequate classrooms to accommodate the ever-growing number of students.

The outmoded structure of the dining hall is too small to enable the students totalling 2,796 to have their meals comfortably while the insufficient campus residential teachers’ bungalow has compelled most of the 203 teaching staff to stay outside the school's premises.

Such a situation has led to the teachers trekking to and from school daily, thus negatively affecting teaching and learning.

Milestone

These challenges came to light at the celebration of the school's 40th milestone, which coincided with the speech and prize-giving day at Mamfe last Saturday.

The event, on the theme: "Transforming girls' education through Wesleyan discipline in digital age  -- MEGHIS in retrospect", was attended by a number of dignitaries.

They included the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Darkoa Newman, who represented the Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia; the Executive Director, Salt and Light Ministries, Ghana, Rev. Joyce Aryee; the Bishop of the Koforidua Diocese of the Methodist Church, Rt Rev. Dennis Joseph Boadu, and his predecessor, Rt Rev. Dr Emmanuel Kwadwo Asare-Kusi, among others.

The rest were the Director-General, National Lottery Authority (NLA), Sammi Awuku, the Municipal Chief Executive for Akuapem North, Barima Asiedu Larbi, and the Mamfehene who is also the Akuapem Kyidomhene, Osabarima Ansah Sasraku III.

Limited space 

In an interview with the Daily Graphic on the sidelines of the event, the Assistant Headmistress of the school, Yvonne Abotsi, indicated that due to the limited space within the dining hall, the students had to go for their meals in batches which had been negatively affecting class hours.

She stated that the classrooms were also not adequate for the student population of nearly 3,000.

Another major challenge, Mrs Abotsi said, was insufficient campus residential facilities for the teachers and as a result, most of them reside outside the school's premises and trek daily to teach in the school.

According to the Assistant Headmistress, such major challenges should be urgently addressed to provide a serene environment for academic work in the school.

In an address, the Headmistress, Winifred Siebu Arthur, highlighted the academic performance of the students, which she indicated had been high in recent years.

For instance, in the 2023 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), 98.46 per cent of the students passed in English Language, 81.35 per cent in Mathematics, 95.44 per cent in integrated science, 99.03 per cent in social studies, 98.42 per cent in chemistry and 100 per cent in elective ICT.

Wesleyan discipline

The General Manager of the Methodist Schools, Very Rev. Francis Kojo Ennuson Jnr intimated that the transformation of the students anchored on the Wesleyan discipline of excellence, morality and service which were of benefit to the Ghanaian society and the individual students in particular.

The Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Darkoa Newman, who represented the Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, said empowering women and appreciating their efforts in nation-building was important for national development.

For her part, the Executive Director of Salt and Light Ministries, Ghana, Rev. Joyce Aryee, dwelt on integrity, hard work, trust and loyalty and told the students that in their endeavour, they should expect challenges.

Writer's email haruna.wunpini@graphic.com.gh