Support Accra Aca to improve infrastructure — Headmaster

The management of Accra Academy has called on the government to support the school to improve its infrastructure in order to return to the single track system.

The headmaster of the school, Emmanuel Ofoe Fiemawhle, who made the call, said in spite of achievements in academic, the school continued to face a number of challenges, such as infrastructural deficit due to the growing student population and inadequate teaching and non-teaching staff.

He said the school would require a total of 118 classrooms to enable it to operate as a single track school and 21 teaching and non-teaching staff to adequately complement its teaching needs.

Mr Fiemawhle, who was speaking during the school’s  93rd anniversary speech and prize giving day in Accra, said the students population had increased from 4,381 last year to 5,060 this year, with 4,338 students as boarders.

“The 3.1 per cent increase in day students and 4.9 per cent increase in boarders means our resources are being stretched beyond capacity, compromising both the effectiveness of our teaching and the comfort of our students,” he added.

Consequently, he also appealed to parents and community leaders to allow school administrators to enforce disciplinary measures effectively.

Event

The 93rd Speech and Prize day event  was organised by the 1993 year group of the school.

The event was on the theme, “Accra Academy Legacy of Excellence; Developing Visionary Leaders for Tomorrow”.

The occasion was also used to inaugurate and hand over the reconstructed Alema Hall, worth GH¢1million by the 93 year group.

Commendation

Mr Fiemawhle commended the 1993 year group for their commitment to reconstruct the Alema Hall which was destroyed by fire three years ago.

He, however, noted that the 240-bed GetFund dormitory project, which had begun earlier this year, had stalled since June with no update on its resumption. 

Leadership

A Professor of Public Health and Nutrition at the University of Ghana, Legon, Professor Richmond Nii Okai Aryeetey, also urged management of the school to prioritise the  development of the leadership skills of students.

That, according to Prof. Aryeetey, would ensure that the school continued to produce the visionary leaders it had produced over the past years.

He said there was the need for teachers to see their role not just as teaching subjects but as shaping and orienting students’ minds for future leadership roles.

Prof. Aryeetey also encouraged parents, teachers, school management and alumni to set a good example for students and also create an environment where diverse opinions were welcomed.

For his part, the Managing Director of Prudential Bank Limited, Bernard Gyebi, urged the students to embody the school's values and live a life of integrity.

The Board Chairman of the school, Justice Victor Jones Mawulom Dotse (rtd), said the school had over the years grown into one of country’s finest institutions, producing many well-known personalities.

He said the anniversary was to reflect on the school’s core values and assess its role in shaping the youth of today.

Fund

The Accra Academy Old Boys Association (AAOBA) President, Joseph Kofi Amoa-Awuah, stressed the importance of unity within the association, adding  that a strong network of members could help foster professional support and pool resources to benefit both the school and alumni.