Gomoa Senior High Technical at 25. Source of inspiration to students

Established 25 years ago, the Gomoa Senior High Technical School (GSHTS), situated at Gomoa Dawurampong in the Gomoa West District in the Central Region, is one of the three  senior high schools in the district; the other two being the Apam Senior High School (APASS) and Mozano Senior High School (MOSEC). 

Since its establishment, the school, bedevilled with a myriad of challenges, has made a lot of impact on the lives of students in the area and helped bridge the educational gap in the Gomoa area, by providing graduates of junior high schools with ready  access to senior high education.

Its location is a source of inspiration to basic school pupils in the catchment area who aspire to greater heights in the future.

The school has also absorbed most JHS pupils annually in the Gomoa area, thereby reducing social problems such as teenage pregnancy in the district.

Anniversary

The school, which is among the community schools established by the government in 1991 as part of its policy to increase access to education across the country, is celebrating its silver jubilee from May 16–May 22, and the week-long celebration will be climaxed with an anniversary durbar on Saturday, May 21, 2016.

The event, which will be held on the theme: “25 years of Gomoa Senior High Technical School, Impact and Challenges,” is expected to be graced by the Minister of Education, Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, the Commissioner General of the Ghana Revenue Authority, Mr George Blankson, as well as parents and past students of the school.

Records from the school indicate that it commenced in January 1991 with a student population of 100, four teachers and four non-teaching staff on the Circuit Court premises at Dawurampong. It was headed by Mr Joseph Bartels Essilfie who was also the first headmaster.

However, in the year 1993, the school was relocated to its present location under the leadership of Mr I.K. Sagoe who was later transferred to Ada Training College to become the Principal in 1994.

The late Emmanuel Adjei, Mr Harry Hayford, Mr Kwaw Buafi and Mr Jacklingo Kweku Quansah became the third, fourth, fifth and sixth headmasters  respectively of the school.

The school is currently headed by Mr Joseph Kweku Denanyoh who assumed office in January 2014. With a current student population of 1,722, it offers programmes such as Technical, Agricultural Science, General Science, Home Economics, General Arts, Business and Visual Arts.

Self-help projects

The school is undergoing some transformation under the leadership of the current headmaster, as a result of the execution of numerous self-help  projects.

Notable among them are the construction of the frontage of the school and a six-unit classroom block, tiling of the staff common room, as well as the landscaping of the entire school compound. A new well-furnished headmaster’s office has also been constructed.

The rest are the construction of a wall around the school’s compound and four summer huts to serve as visitors’ lounge and the renovation of a girls’ dormitory that was gutted by fire about four years ago, among others.

The aforementioned projects are being executed with funds generated internally, through fundraising and donations to the school.

Work on a two-storey administration block with a library attached is being funded by the government.

Headmaster

Mr Kweku Denanyoh told the Daily Graphic during a visit to the school that “GSHTS has been a guarantee for potential BECE candidates from far and near, who after completion are currently in positions of authority in all sectors of the economy”.  

He called on past students of the school to use the period contribute their widow’s mite towards the development of their alma mater.

He stressed that the school had done a lot for them and that it was their responsibility to support the government to improve the conditions in the school for the benefit of the current students as well as future generations.

Challenges

In spite of the notable impact made by the school in its 25 years of existence, it is confronted with some challenges that include the lack of accommodation for teachers compelling most of them to commute from as far as Agona Swedru and Winneba on a daily basis to school, with its negative effect on instructional hours. 

It also lacks adequate boarding facilities, classrooms, a library, an assembly hall, a dining hall, an infirmary and a kitchen, among others, while the home economics food laboratory, the technical department and information and communications technology laboratories are under-resourced, making the teaching of practical lessons very difficult.

Writer’s email; gilbertagbey@gmail.com