MOBA Election Hub: Candidates raise concerns over student population [VIDEO]

Four unopposed aspirants of various positions within the Mfantsipim Old Boys Association (MOBA) have expressed concern over the current large student population and have called for capping measures to help check the increasing numbers. 

They explained that if left unchecked, the numbers could have a negative impact on discipline, teaching and learning, hygiene, security, academic performance and over all administration of the Mfantsipim School. 

The aspirants were David Abbey (Class of 1990) vying for Vice President; Dr John Manful (Class of 1977) vying for Decade Representative (40-49); James Dadson (Class of 81) for Decade Representative (40-49); and Daniel Andoh (Class of 1986) for Decade Representative (30-39).

They were speaking at an engagement on Wednesday (Oct 18, 2023) dubbed; “Know your candidates; A platform for all old boys to engage candidates.”

It was organised by the MOBA Election Hub to enable the candidates promote their manifestos on which they are running for the various offices on the MOBA national executive committee. 

The two-day engagement is scheduled for both opposed and unopposed candidates. 

Mfantsipim admission policy

Daniel Andoh of Class of 1986 said Mfantsipim School’s admission policy needed to be reviewed because the large numbers were putting pressure on the already meagre resources and infrastructure. 

He urged the Mfantsipim Old Boys to empower the headmaster to collaborate with the Methodist Church to hold government accountable to provide more resources because it was mostly responsible for the increasing numbers. 

Dr John Manful of Class of 1977 added that the headmaster had become powerless with regards to admissions. 

“The headmaster sits in his office and keeps receiving lists of students to be admitted and all those people are coming in after admissions have closed,” he lamented. 

“The government should be made to understand that in as much as most parents would like to see their sons in Mfantsipim, there is a limit otherwise they can’t get a chair to sit on or a place to sit,” Dr Manful stressed. 

Governance structure, teaching staff

David Abbey of Class of 1990 stated that if elected as Vice President, he would strengthen the school’s governance structure that would represent all stakeholders to create measures to address the student population among other goals. 

“We are here talking about the numbers. We should stop behaving like we are the only stakeholders. We should should rather engage at the board level and collaborate with the other stakeholders so we can reach our targets,” he stressed. 

James Dadson of Class of 81 said that as the number of students had become problematic, there was an urgent need to keep the teaching staff highly motivated to attract and retain the best brains to deliver quality education. 

“In most of our discussions, it’s always about what we are going to do for the students, but I think that there should be a major focus of the teachers who are training our children for the future,” he said.