The Aggrey Memorial AME Zion Senior High School has marked its 86th anniversary in splendour, rallying the support of stakeholders for the construction a 500-capacity girls’ dormitory to decongest existing facilities.
Dr Mrs Dorothy Adentwi-Hayford, the Headmistress, lamented a grim overcrowding situation which forced the girls to sleep in unhygienic conditions, most of them in pairs, posing explosive health risks and affecting their academics.
“Looking at the numbers that we’re having, they are just about two and a half in number more than the boys and it is the same facilities that we have for them.
“Thanks be to the PTA who helped to complete the installed PTA new house block. Still, we need this facility to curb some of the challenges health-wise due to the congestion at the girls’ side,” she said.
On their 85th anniversary last year, the school made a similar request, but the situation remains the same, hence the reiteration.
This year’s anniversary, primarily sponsored by the 2001-year group (AMOSA ‘01), was a historic moment of reunion, glamour and ecstasy, as well as deep reflections on the future of the “bridge city”.
It was held on the theme: “Building good leaders, shaping the future: The role of stakeholders.”
As a legacy project, AMOSA 01 handed over a state-of-the-art 50-capacity ICT laboratory with internet connectivity to their alma mater to enhance the teaching and learning of digital skills.
Consolidating the old students’ longstanding tradition of giving back to society, AMOSA 01 also donated assorted food, drinks, toiletries and an ultramodern photocopier machine to the Cape Coast School for the Deaf and Blind.
The anniversary was climaxed on Saturday with a colourful durbar elaborately painted with a spectacular display by the school’s cadet and regimental band, poems and cultural displays by the students and the unyielding energy of the alumni.
The school honoured deserving students, teaching and non-teaching staff as well as some six retirees with awards.
Dr Mrs Adentwi-Hayford made further requests including accommodation for 20 additional teachers on campus to strengthen monitoring and discipline, indicating that the student population of 5,773 as against 38 staff staying on campus was utterly overwhelming.
She also called for the expansion of their dining hall which could only host 1,000 students at a time, describing it as woefully inadequate for a boarding population of close to 5,000.
“The school also, Mr Chairman, needs another 28-unit classroom block to ease the congestion in the existing classrooms.
“Here we have some classrooms with a population of 90 students and therefore we need to break them down for effective teaching and learning,” she added.
She appealed for an official vehicle to run the school administration effectively.
The headmistress, presenting her report for the past year, expressed the school’s commitment to discipline, academic excellence and character formation in pursuit of a holistic and productive education.
She said the school continued to perform remarkably well academically as it bagged 75 per cent in the recent WASSCE, an improvement over last year’s performance.
She also pointed to their performances in the National Science and Maths Quiz, a business competition, and a maths quiz to back her assertions.
The performance of the school in sports was no different, she noted, as they won multiple awards in several competitions.
Dr Mrs Adentwi-Hayford further named a few completed and ongoing projects and commended the benefactors for their support.
She appealed to all stakeholders to continue to work together to uphold the legacy of the school.
Ms Renita Nartey, Girls’ prefect also in her report, pointed to some developments within the past year including improvements in sanitation and water.
She was, however, quick to join the headmistress in the appeal for an additional accommodation for the girls.
Mr Felix Kwakye Ofosu, the Member of Parliament for Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese (AAK) and Minister in charge of Government Communication, in a statement delivered on his behalf, expressed government’s commitment to lifting the school from category B to A through increased investment.
He said they would construct the teachers’ accommodation and expand classroom infrastructure for classrooms to take the school off the double track system.
He touted some assistance he had personally extended to the school including more than 1,000 desks, water storage tanks, and sporting equipment to promote sports development, and pledged his continuous support.
Dr Benjamin Otchere Ankrah, Global President of AMOSA, lamenting some challenges in the school, entreated the District Chief Executive of AAK to make special budgetary allocation for infrastructure development for the school.
Dr George Nana Sam Mends, President of AMOSA 84 and Guest Speaker, underscored the need for nurturing good leaders and called for collaborations among all stakeholders for that cause.
He noted that good leadership was founded on character, service, vision, resilience and accountability and urged the school and its stakeholders to prioritise them above all other qualities.
Mr Joseph Baffoe, President of AMOSA 01, the sponsoring year group, rationalised the ICT project, citing the need for digital training in the era of rapid digital transformation across all fields.
He implored all alumni groups to return and give back to the school, citing accommodation a major challenge.
GNA
