Former Headmaster of Ebenezer Senior High School, Richard Kofi Mensah on Saturday urged heads of second-cycle institutions to take advantage of Old Student Associations to assist in development to facilitate quality education.

He said Old Student Associations were endowed with a huge resource, both human and financial, to make them perfect partners in the development in schools.

Mr Mensah, therefore, entreated the heads of institutions not to shun such associations but to engage and involve them in management processes of their respective schools.

The former Headmaster was speaking at a send-off ceremony held in his honour by the Management of Ebenezer Senior High School in Accra.

The ceremony was in recognition of his contribution to the development of the school.

The former Headmaster said at a time when resources from the government were inadequate, leveraging on that of the Old Student Associations would help to undertake many development projects.

He said during his tenure as headmaster, the Ebenezer Senior High witnessed infrastructure and academic improvement.

The infrastructure projects include the construction of an e-library by MTN, construction of an event complex and the reconstruction of the school's main entrance.

This, he said, was made possible with the unrelenting assistance from the Old Students Association.

"One thing about old students is that if you open your doors to them, they will assist the school but if you ignore them they won't care because after all, they have their money," he added.

Ms Anatasia Afua Konadu, the new Headmistress of the school, commended her predecessor for his sterling leadership that had brought discipline among students and development to the school.

She, however, expressed worry about the failure of successive governments after Former President John Agyekum Kufuor to complete a boarding facility began during his era.

A situation, she said, was hampering the school's desire to expand and to improve on academic performance.
She, therefore, appealed to authorities and benevolent individuals and organisations to come to the aid of the school to ensure the completion of the facility.

Lloyd Evans, the President of the school's Old Students Association, praised the former headmaster for making the Association a partner in the school's development.

While urging old students to contribute towards strengthening the Association, he assured the school's management of continued support to foster development and improve on academic performance of students.

Mr Mensah was the head of the school from November 2017 and retired in May 2020.

He was given a 54-inch television, an unspecified amount of cash and a plaque.