The Awudome Secondary School at Tsito, in the Ho district, is to be rehabilitated at a total cost of 117 million cedes, under a government's infrastructure development scheme.

Projects under the scheme include the rehabilitation of the school's kitchen, dining hall and the home economics block, as well as the completion of the headmaster's bungalow. Mr Andrews Asare Akuoko, Director of Secondary Education at the Ghana Education Service (GES), announced this at the 37th honours day celebration of the school on Saturday, under the theme "Renewed Attitude: A tool for academic excellence".

The occasion was also used to honour students and teachers who excelled in academic work, sports and other areas with the girls matching the boys equally in the awards for academic excellence.

Also honoured, was the former headmaster of the school Mr Winfred Bonsi.

In all 150 books and certificates were presented to deserving students and teachers, with the overall best student award going to Master Frederick Aryittey, while Mr Leonard Ashong and Anthony Amoah received the best teacher and worker awards respectively.

Mr Akuoko said the objective of the educational reform is to ensure the development of human resource, which he said is largely dependent on the attitude of the people towards education.

He said there is the need for a change of attitude of students towards academic work and their social pattern, to attain the highest academic laurel.

He urged students to take their computer lessons seriously to prepare them for the challenges on the job market.

Mr. Akuoko commended the school for its discipline, but called for more communication, judicious use of time and involvement in extra-curricula activities as a means of minimising indiscipline.

He advised the students to desist from anti-social lifestyles, reminding them of the reality of the HIV/AIDS menace, which he described as "a tragedy on hand, which needs no debate to determine who is right or wrong".

Mr. F. R. K. Degbor, the headmaster, announced that the school has a population of 1135 out of which 610 are girls forming 53.7 percent, while the boys are 525 (46.3 percent). This, he said was the school's contribution towards encouraging girl-child education.

He said however, that of the 54 teachers of the school, only six of them live on campus, which makes supervision difficult.

Mr Degbor appealed to the government, non-governmental organisations, churches and philanthropists to assist in the construction of staff bungalows.

He commended the Parent Teacher Association for the construction of a 52 million cedi girls' dormitory block and the provision of sports equipment as well as the Student Representative Council for providing a 5-horse power lawn mower and an amplifier for the school.

Mr Fred Buatsi, chairman of the Board of Governors, announced that the school is embarking on a three- year development plan to improve on its status during the commemoration of its 40 years anniversary in the year 2003.

He commended the District assembly and the Awudome Traditional council for creating the enabling environment for the school to grow and provide the needs of the community.