Mfantsipim Headmaster appeals for infrastructure support

The Headmaster of the Mfantsipim School, Rev. Ebenezer Aidoo has appealed to the government and the Mfantsipim Old Boys Association (MOBA), to build washrooms and a dining hall for the school’s new classrooms at its new academic site.

According to him, all the new classrooms that have been constructed at the school’s new academic site had no washrooms, making it difficult for the students and teachers to get access to places of convenience during instruction time.

Annual conference

Mr Aidoo made the comments via the Zoom platform when he delivered a report during the 6th annual national conference of the MOBA which was held at the Asbury Dunwell Chapel Wesley House in Accra on Saturday, May 23, 2021. Other participants joined the meeting online.

The annual national conference serves as a platform where past students (Old Boys) of the school meet to discuss issues relating to the development of the school as well as concerning the welfare of the old boys.

Mr Aidoo also added that the school needed more vehicles for its day-to-day activities, expressing the concerning that he is currently using his private vehicle for official duties.

On the issue of the new dining hall, he noted, due to lack of space and growing student population, students had to attend dining in four groups since they all cannot sit at the same time for dining.

He said the school currently has a student population of 3,583, comprising 1,403 form three students; 1,096 form two students and 1,084 form one students.

Rev. Aidoo, however, said in spite of the school’s various challenges, a candidate from the school emerged the overall best in the 2020 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), scoring eight ‘A’s.

He additionally said the school needed projectors urgently to facilitate teaching and learning, noting that the school would this year present 1,390 candidates for the WASSCE, expressing the hope that this year’s batch performs better than their predecessors.

Accommodation

On staff accommodation, the Mfantsipim Headmaster said, due to lack of accommodation facilities, about half of the staff live outside the school’s premises.

Rev. Aidoo noted that currently the school has a staff strength of 251, including 153 teaching staff; 76 non-teaching staff; 18 national service personnel and four Nation Builders Corps (NABCO) trainees.

He again appealed to the old boys to take as a project to construct a 5,000 seater auditorium to celebrate the school’s 150th anniversary. The school is currently 145 years.

Concerning COVID-19 cases, he said, the Mfantsipim School is yet to record any case, adding that management and stakeholders had instituted measures to prevent COVID-19 in the school.

In outlining his vision for the school, Rev. Aidoo said his three focus areas would be to inculcate discipline in both students and staff, promote academic excellence as well as to embark on massive infrastructural development.

Background

Mfantsipim School was established in 1876 by the Methodist Church in Cape Coast as the first secondary school in Ghana to foster intellectual, moral and spiritual growth.

The old boys of the school have over the years demonstrated that spirit of collective and collaborative good towards the development of their alma mater. This has resulted in the evolvement of a tradition that allows Year Groups in decade succession taking charge of planning annual events and undertaking projects in the school on a yearly basis.

Apathy

The MOBA Ebusuapanyin Capt. Paul Forjoe encouraged old boys of the school to be interested in the affairs of the school, expressing the worry that many old boys do not tend up for meetings of the association.

He, however, commended old boys who over the years had devoted their time and resources to the development of the school.

He also called for the amendment of the MOBA’s constitution to enable more qualified persons to contest for leadership positions.

Ebusuapanyin Capt. Forjoe said the association was on course in setting up an endowment fund for the school, pointing out that out of the target six million Cedis seed money, one million Cedis had already been collected, expressing the hope that the fund would be launched this year.