Ridge Church School holds 67th Speech and Prize-giving Day
The Ridge Church School in Accra has celebrated its 67th Speech and Prize-giving Day and Passing Out ceremony, with a call to include co-curricular activities in school programmes.
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Speaking at last Saturday’s event on the school’s premises, the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Dr Eric Nkansah, encouraged learners and parents to embrace and take advantage of schools’ integration of co-curricular activities into their programmes.
Dr Nkansah emphasised the many benefits that co-curricular activities offered students, explaining that those activities helped students develop critical social skills, teamwork, time management, organisational skills and leadership abilities.
"Co-curricular activities create a platform for learners to practically apply theoretical knowledge learnt in the classroom in real-life situations,” he reiterated.
He also pointed out additional benefits such as the opportunity for learners to explore personal interests and talents, improved physical health through sports, and increased self-confidence and valuable networking opportunities.
"Ultimately, co-curricular activities ignite critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication among our learners," Dr Nkansah said, underlining their importance in preparing students for the demands of the 21st century.
STEM
Dr Nkansah also highlighted the GES's commitment to prioritise Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics ( STEM) education, noting that it would play a critical role in shaping the future of education.
"STEM is not just a subject area but a gateway to innovation, progress and global problem-solving," he emphasised.
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He further outlined the Ministry of Education's initiatives such as the operationalisation of seven STEM senior high schools and the expansion of science laboratories across existing schools.
“The first of 20 STEM centres established at Accra High School will provide practical learning opportunities in areas such as robotics, 3D printing, nanotechnology, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things,” he explained.
Dr Nkansah encouraged parents to take advantage of those resources.
"I encourage parents gathered here to take your wards in primary and junior high schools to visit the centre and explore the training available at the facility," he stated.
He concluded by urging the management of Ridge Church School to continue embracing innovative teaching approaches and leveraging technology to maintain its legacy of excellence.
Brighter future
The Principal of the school, Nana Ama Acheampomaa Badasu, in her report, expressed gratitude to the various stakeholders of the school for their contributions to the enviable records of the school so far.
She said in 2023, the school presented 77 candidates, comprising 29 boys and 48 girls for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), pointing out that over 82 per cent of the candidates obtained grades 1 to 4 in all subjects.
Mrs Badasu revealed that two of the candidates obtained nine ones in all subjects and she commended them accordingly. She expressed the hope that the school’s next batch of candidates would produce much better results in the BECE.
Alumni
For their part, some representatives of the school's Class of 1999 welcomed the graduating students to the alumni association. They announced the dedication of a special signage at the school's entrance to commemorate their 25th anniversary.
The Class of 1973 also commemorated this milestone by announcing their contributions to the school. They include the refurbishment of the school’s computer lab and enhancement of the school's Local Area Network (LAN), as well as donating a mounted dropdown wall screen and a mobile classroom projector.
They also revealed their plan to establish an annual Charity Ball for the school’s Trust Fund.