President joins Kinbu SHTS to celebrate 150th anniversary

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, last Saturday joined his alma mater, Kinbu Senior High Technical School (SHTS), to celebrate the school’s 150th anniversary and Speech & Prize-Giving Day on the school’s premises in Accra.

The celebration was on the theme: “Equipping our Future Leaders with 21st Century Skills – The Role of the Stakeholders”.

Present at the ceremony were the Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum; the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service, Dr Eric Nkansah; the Regional Director of Education, Stephen Abamfo; the Municipal Director of Education for Korle Klottey, Philip Aidoo; the Municipal Chief Executive for Korle Klottey, Samuel Nii Adjei Tawiah, and the Member of Parliament (MP) for Korle Klottey, Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings.

Gift

For his anniversary gift to the school, President Akufo-Addo presented a brand new Pickup to help the school in its daily operations.

He promised a new school bus and provided financial support to the smooth organisation of the 150th anniversary and Speech & Prize-Giving Day.

He assured them that he would continue to support the school even after he ended his tenure as President of Ghana on January 7, 2025.

Memories

Sharing some fond memories, President Akufo-Addo recounted when his father used to alight him at the school, formerly known as Rowe-Road School, and then later became Kinbu Experimental Junior Secondary School in 1976.

The President said the school, which again was transformed from an experimental school to a senior secondary technical school status in 1990, was very dear to his heart because the school shaped his life at the early stages of his education.

“Kinbu SHTS has not only shaped my life but has helped countless people who passed through the school. It is the discipline, hard work and critical thinking by the school that shaped me into whom I am today.

“My own educational journey began from Kinbu. That is why I made sure I rushed back to Ghana after addressing the United Nations General Assembly a few hours ago, to attend this important and memorable milestone achieved by this noble school of ours,” he said.

Anniversary

The Chairperson for the occasion, Eunice Mildred Nelson-Cofie, who is also an old student of Kinbu SHTS, in her address, recalled over four decades ago when she was enrolled in the school.

She said although she was not happy about the location of the school, in a market area, her mother challenged her to shine like a star anywhere she found herself, adding, “Since that day, I have not regretted attending Kinbu SHTS”.

The Board Chairman of Kinbu SHTS, John Mensah Anang, said the 150th Anniversary celebration was more than just a commemoration of the school’s history but a testament to their resilience and adaptability in meeting the educational needs of our community.

“The school’s mission is to prepare students with essential 21st century skills such as innovation, critical thinking and environmental consciousness, ensuring they are well-equipped to navigate the complexities of today’s world,” he added.

Needs

The School Prefect of Kinbu SHTS, Joseph Kwabena Dogba, in his speech, said under his administration they planned to improve on discipline, and academic performance and to award some teachers for their significant contributions to the development of the school.

That, he said, was an excellent way to motivate them to continue affecting the learners positively.

He reminded the authorities that despite the high achievements chalked up by the school, there were still areas in need of improvement.

He mentioned inadequate furniture, insufficient classroom blocks, unappealing washrooms, an overcrowded ICT Lab and a dilapidated canteen.

He, therefore, took the opportunity to appeal to President Akufo-Addo, parents and other stakeholders to help find practical solutions to these pressing issues, so that the school could achieve greater success.

The President of the Kinbu Old Students Association (KOSA), Joseph Oddei, called on all old students to come together to contribute their quota to bring Kinbu to the next level of its developmental agenda.