Nandom, UW, March 30, GNA - President John Evans Atta Mills, has commended the wisdom and vision of the Catholic Church, which have helped contributed immensely to the development of the country. He said the church had not only contributed meaningfully to the educational and health sectors but it has also instilled Christian moral values and principles in the citizenry, which have culminated in the total wellbeing of the people.

President Mills made the commendation in a speech, read on his behalf, by Mr. Mahmud Khalid, Upper West Regional Minister at the 40th Anniversary celebration of the Nandom Senior High School at Nandom at the weekend.

The anniversary was on the theme: "Nandom Senior High School, the cradle of excellence in the era of the new educational reforms and the way forward."

President Mills said the wealth and development of any nation was measured on the quality of its educational systems and the products they turned out to take up the developmental challenges of that nation. He said the type of training given to students and pupils at the basic and tertiary education levels must therefore conform to the changing demands of the present system and realities of the time. "Education is a strategic tool in the socio-economic development of the people and government is determined to develop a programme that would create an enabling environment for all children in the country to be provided with education," President Mills said. He said the neglect of basic infrastructural development of schools that resulted in some of them being labelled as "endowed and less endowed schools" and the poor academic performance of the less endowed ones was unfortunate.

He said government would work hard to narrow the disparity in development by providing rural schools with logistics to improve their performance and stem migration.

President Mills acknowledged the excellent performance of the Nandom Senior High School and said the school was among some of the best schools in the country that were the standards. He appealed to the teachers and students to do more to sustain the excellent performance of the school. He urged former students to continue to support their schools, noting: "without their support many schools would not be what they are today".

He appealed to parents to monitor the progress of their children through regular visits to the schools and finding out from teachers the performance of their children. President Mills asked the school authorities to take stock of the challenges of the school and work assiduously to address them. He assured them that the government would take a critical look at some of the needs of the school and provide them to enhance progress. He tasked the Lawra District Assembly to provide a 10-seater- KVIP for the school. The Catholic Bishop of Wa, the Most Reverend Dr. Paul Bemile, said education should address the moral issues of society. "The injection of moral education into the educational system would make our products unique," he said. Mr. Khalid presented a GH¢1,000 to the school on behalf of President Mills.