Koase Senior High Technical School at the weekend celebrated its 20th anniversary and first Speech and Prize Giving-Day.

The celebration is taking place amid problems, including poor infrastructure and student-congestion.

The situation has led to the school authorities converting one of the two staff bungalows into a dormitory and the dinning-hall into a classroom.

The pathetic situation has compelled the students to sometimes sleep on floors and study under trees.

Nana Albert Osei Asiamah, Headmaster, disclosed this in his report during the celebration, held at Koase, near Wenchi in the Brong Ahafo Region, on the theme, “Honesty and Hard work, A Tool for National Development”.

He said the unfenced school, coupled with the lack of staff accommodation on campus had impeded teaching and learning and the supervision of students at the hostels.

The headmaster said the lack of a fence around the school had allowed encroachers onto the limited land of the institution for activities such as farming and construction of buildings.

Nana Asiamah observed that, the situation had made majority of students sent to the school, through the Computer Placement of the School Selection System (CPSS), to refuse showing up, “which does not augur well for less endowed second cycle schools.”

He however stated that despite the challenges, the school had recorded improvement since his assumption of office in 2001, citing the student population of 71 had increased to more than 1,000, while the strength of the teaching and non-teaching staff, which stood at 15 and 25 had shot up to 25 and 37, respectively.

Agricultural, Technical and Vocational subjects are the three subjects the students were pursuing at the school, Nana Asiamah said, adding that, an additional course study of General Arts has been added.

Nana Asiamah said the academic performance of the school had experienced yearly improvement since 2008, 2009 and 2011 with 88 per cent, 97 per cent and 100 per cent passes respectively in the West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

“We strongly hope that if the infrastructure is expanded and upgraded, more programmes would be introduced to enhance effective teaching and learning and the performance of students”, he said, and appealed to all and sundry to support the school.

He commended the school’s football team for winning silver in this years’ super zonal football competition held at Dormaa Ahenkro, in the region.

Nana Asiamah paid glowing tribute to Mr. James Hutcheson, a Peace Corps volunteer, the Wenchi Municipal Assembly, Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and the Baduman Rural Bank for the provision of a bore-hole, classroom blocks and 50 bags of cement, respectively, for the school.

He called on the government, the community, benevolent organisations, old students and other corporate organizations to come to the aid of the school.

In an address read for him, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye Marfo, Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, emphasized the importance of students, as the greatest asset of any developed-inclined nation.

He said there was the need for public education and youth sensitization against indulgence in narcotic drugs, sexual promiscuity, teenage pregnancy, armed robbery and illegal abortion, among other social vices.

Mr Nyamekye Marfo called on all stakeholders, especially those in positions of influence, including the youth, to help deepen awareness on the far reaching adverse consequences of such deviant behaviours on individuals, society and the nation at large.

“We are convinced that, whilst the government makes child-focused and friendly policies, the role and importance of the family unit, community, development partners, religious organizations, civil society organizations and educational institutions in nurturing the children cannot be over-emphasized”, he added.

Mr. Nyamekye Marfo entreated parents to instill good behaviour and discipline in their children and to ensure their progress academically, by monitoring their performance and supervising their assignments to help them reach their full potentials.

He advised students to take advantage of the opportunity provided by society to develop to become marketable in future so they could contribute meaningfully to the development of their communities and the nation as a whole.

Prizes and certificates were awarded to deserving past and present students.**