The 1962 year group of Achimota School at the weekend donated a pickup to the school and commissioned three boreholes as part of efforts to provide potable water and alleviate transportation problems on campus.

Mr Nat Nuno-Amarteifio, an educationist and member of the 1962 group, did the presentation at the school’s 85th Founders’ Day Celebration in Accra on the theme: ‘Financing Education-The Role of Stakeholders’.

The Founders Day is observed annually to remind both past and present students, teachers and parents of the ideals of the founders and the need to work hard to develop the school. Mr Nuno-Amarteifio, who was also the special Quest of Honour for the occasion, said the 1962 group had also rehabilitated the school of music with modern equipment for entertainment.

He said during the last thirty years, the students’ population has risen from 600 to 2200 due to quality education and advocated scholarship scheme for brilliant but needy students whose parents are poor to afford high fees.

Mr Nuno-Amarteifio said research on the academic records of form one students at the school showed that 60 to 65 per cent of them receive their preschool and junior secondary education at fairly expensive preparatory schools.

He said Achimota School was the first government coeducational secondary school in the country founded on the principle of quality education and moral values for development.

Mr Amarteifio call on both past and present students to build on the ideals, principles and visions of the founders for the school to maintain its enviable position in academic circles.

He urged products of the school to live in unity and to help provide developmental projects for the school.

Mrs Beatrice T. Adom, Headmistress of Achimota School, said the day was also to celebrate the Founding Fathers of the school namely Sir Gordon Guggisberg, Alexander Fraser and James Kwegyir Aggrey for their vision and contribution to the development of the school.

Mrs Adom expressed concern about the rate at which encroachers were plundering the school lands which had make it difficult to embark on any future expansion because the school is not walled.

She said some students in the school have had their trunks and chop boxes broken into and a number of burglaries in staff quarters from workers and artisans employed by the encroachers.

Mrs Adom appealed for the presence of the Police patrol on the school premises to deter people from causing harm and urged stakeholders to help in building a wall around the school to protect life and property.