Ebenezer Senior High School, has celebrated its 78th anniversary with a clarion call to stakeholders to come on board to help the school soar to higher heights.

At the school’s speech and prize-giving day on theme; “Challenges of Day Senior High School: The Role of Stakeholders”, Headmaster for the school, Mr Richard Kofi Mensah, expressed great satisfaction at how far the school has developed with the help of the Board, PTA, past and present students, the heads, teachers and management.

The school, which was founded by the late Robert Teiko Aryee in January, 1941, with only 6 students currently, has a student population of 1,654.

Mr Mensah in an interview with GNA, said some students in the school are very proficient in sports, and therefore called on stakeholders, old students, Government and the PTA to assist the school to construct a mini sports complex to serve both students and the community.

“We have the land and the field, we’re only left with financial support so please come to our aid” he added.

He said it was the expectation of the school to have a good laboratory for science and Information and Communications Technology (ICT) which would serve as a resource Centre for the school.

“It is my expectation that by the 80th anniversary Ebenezer SHS will be a model school to serve the community and its environs”.

A former student of the school, Bishop Tackie Yarboi, the General Overseer of Victory Bible Church International who was the guest of honour, said the school has made tremendous strides from its humble beginnings till date.

He congratulated the dedicated teachers who work wholeheartedly to ensure the students become great in their chosen careers and callings.

Bishop Tackie commended the Government for making it possible for both the rich and poor to have access to senior high education.

“This policy is an answer to the prayers of the poor in our society whose children would have been denied education beyond junior high school”.

He called on stakeholders to take part in ensuring that the numerous challenges facing Day Senior High Schools are tackled from the roots.

He said some of the challenges Day Students face were gambling and betting, lateness, peer pressure.

“Day students in SHS are more exposed to the numerous acts of distraction from academic work than their counterparts in boarding schools.

He said gambling and betting was spreading rapidly in part of the country and those who patronize them a lot were the youth which includes day students”.

He said some of these students are gradually been exposed to all kinds of bad habits such as drugs abuse, internet fraud among others.

“These betting houses are indirectly telling our children that you will start to make quick money from gambling than going to school and earning a decent living through hard work”.

He said parents must encourage and support their wards and let them know that taking parts in such acts would destroy them.

"I appealed strongly on authorities to put in place stringent measures and regulations and make it illegal for operators to open their doors for students or anyone under 18 years, in fact, such betting houses must be closed down immediately,” he said.

Bishop Tackie also advised students to join scripture union in schools adding that such gathering protect and prevent students from going wayward.

He urged the students to be of good behaviour and make use the social media wisely to acquire more knowledge.