After govt’s absorption: Bepoase State College receives Asa Savings and Loans support to expand infrastructure
Epoase State College, a community-initiated senior high school (SHS) in the Sekyere South District in the Ashanti Region has been given a huge boost ahead of the admission of first-year students for the 2025/2026 academic year.
This is due to the provision of essential building materials to assist the school in the construction of a three-storey dormitory block and a kitchen to put the school on a firm footing to receive fresh students after being absorbed by the government into the public school system.
The items worth GH¢24,129.00 included 125 bags of cement, one ton of 14mm iron rod, 45 3/8 iron rod and five binding wires provided by the Agona-Kona Business Centre of Asa Savings and Loans Limited, a microfinance company.
Brief history
The school was instituted as a community day SHS in 2009 by an indigene after he was approached by the Chief of the town, Nana Agyemang Brefo to help in the establishment of a school in the area. Initially, it started with 17 students and 11 teachers.
Mithu Bhushan Debnath (5th from left), Divisional Manager, Ashanti East Division, Asa Savings and Loans Limited, presenting the building materials to Ebenezer Longdon (5th from right), acting headmaster, Bepoase State College
In 2011, the first batch wrote the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE). Fast forward, the need arose for permanent structures to be constructed for the school to enhance teaching and learning, leading to the release of 40 acres of land for that purpose by Nana Monica Agyemang, the queenmother and her elders.
Currently, the community has managed to construct a seven-unit classroom block and an administration with current students numbering 78. The district has four SHS, namely Okomfo Anokye SHS, Agona Adventist SHS, Agona Senior High Technical and Boanim Senior High Technical.
Correspondence
In a letter dated October 9, 2024, and directed to the Director-General of the Ghana Education (GES), the board, Parent-Teacher Association and the chiefs made a formal application for the absorption of the school into the public education system.
Subsequently, a team of officers from the regional education directorate inspected the school and recommended its absorption into the GES.
However, ahead of the admission of its first batch of students from the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) in September, the school is putting up a three-storey girls’ dormitory and kitchen to meet the requirements.
Request for support
As a result, the management of the school wrote to Asa Savings and Loans Limited to come to their aid in the construction of the two critical projects for the benefit of the students.
Presenting the items to the management of the school last Tuesday, the Corporate Social Responsibility/Climate Change Officer of the company, Lily Opoku Mensah, said the support was in response to a request from the school for urgent assistance to construct the facilities.
She said since the school was in its initial stages, they were now putting up some basic infrastructure needed to improve teaching and learning, saying “as a company, we decided to donate the items based upon their request.
She mentioned that as part of the company’s corporate social responsibility towards areas within which it operated, they thought it wise to support the school in its quest to become a fully fledged SHS with the objective of providing quality secondary education to students.
Computers
She added that the school has also requested the provision of computers and its accessories to help in administrative work and in the teaching of Information and Communications Technology (ICT).
She said: “We will forward the request for computers to our head office for necessary consideration”, saying “as an institution, we are committed to supporting communities within which we operate to develop for the benefit of all”.
She added that similar support had been provided to health facilities and educational institutions nationwide in a bid to contribute towards improving the delivery of quality health and education services in the country.
Commendation
Receiving the items, the acting headmaster of the school, Ebenezer Longdon, commended the organisation for the support saying it would go a long way to fast-track the completion of the ongoing projects.
He stated that the two projects were very essential as their early completion would well-position the school to receive the new students and therefore called upon indigenes both home and abroad to come on board to support the projects.
“There is no doubt that the establishment of the school will bring secondary education closer to the people and put an end to school pupils travelling long distances to attend school,” he said.
For his part, the Assembly member for the Bepoase New Town Electoral Area, Ernest Gyamfi Boateng, said the support came at the right time and was a huge relief to the community in their efforts to establish the school.
He stated that the community was among the three big towns in the district without a secondary school and indicated that the establishment of the school was to help build the human capital in the area.
He said that although the items received would not lead to the completion of the projects, they would at least help to speed up the execution of the facilities.
Writer’s email: gilbert.agbey@graphic.com.gh
