Zebilla (U/E) July 7, GNA - Mr. Kwadwo-Baah Wiredu, Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, said at the weekend that students of second-cycle institutions in the rural parts of the country do not need to seek transfers to well-established schools in the big cities before they could achieve success. "With hardwork, discipline and determination you can climb to the highest heights no matter which school you attend, he said. Mr. Wiredu was delivering the keynote address at the first speech and prize giving day of the Zebilla Secondary/Technical School in the Bawku West district of the Upper East Region. Established in 1982 with 35 students, the school's student population now stands at 340, out of whom 105 are girls.

Quoting the old adage, "brighten the corner where your are", Mr. Wiredu, who was guest of honour for the occasion, pointed out that if the same school at Zebilla could produce prominent scholars and politicians including the present Regional Minister, Mr. Mahami Salifu and Mr. Cletus Avoka, Member of Parliament for the area, then any of the students could also attain prominence if they approached their studies with seriousness. He commended students for the fact that theirs' was the only school in the region that had never embarked on any demonstration or suffered a closure because of riots, and urged them to keep up the record.

The Minister observed that since every school embarks on a general cleaning-up and renovation of its infrastructure prior to a speech day event, it would do schools in the country a lot of good if such occasions were observed every year. He further stated that inter-schools sports competitions would also become an annual affair instead of being held bi-annually, to enable his ministry to unearth more young talents in the regions.

Mr. Wiredu assured staff and students of the school that their requests for means of transport and laboratory equipment, among others, would be addressed within the shortest possible time. He later commissioned a girls' hostel in the school, put up by the district Assembly at a cost of 263 million cedis.

In a speech, the Regional Minister, Mr. Mahami Salifu, indicated that although it was the government's policy to provide quality education for the country's youth, government alone could not possibly bear the cost involved. He therefore, urged Parent/Teacher Associations, Old Students Associations, religious bodies and non-governmental organizations to continue to play an active role in the effort to make education accessible to all children in he country. Mr. Salifu also urged the students to study hard so as to derive the maximum benefit from the educational facilities put at their disposal.

Earlier in a report, the headmaster of the school, Mr. Paul Apanga, said the school's science laboratory constructed by the district Assembly in 1998, was still without equipment. Science students and tutors therefore have to travel to the Science Resource Centre at Bawku once every week, a distance of 29 kilometres, to do practical lessons.

Mr. Apanga mentioned the lack of means of transport and a library as other pressing constraints facing the school. He appealed to the Education Ministry to change the school's status from day to that of a boarding institution, saying that the move would increase student enrolment and retention considerably.

Mr. Kenneth Dabuo, Regional Director of Education, chaired the occasion. Other dignitaries present at the function included, Mr. Joseph Akudbilla, Deputy Minister of Defence and Member of Parliament (MP) for Garu/Tempane constituency, Mr. Cletus Avoka, MP for Zebilla, the Bawku Naba, Asigri Abugrago Azoka 11. Mr. Moses Abare Appiah, Bawku West District Chief Executive, the Reverend Jacob Ayeebo, Chairman of the Schools' Board of Directors, and Assembly members.

An appeal for funds for the fencing of the girl's hostel yielded 29.7 million cedis. The Regional Minister, who is an old student, donated 3 million cedis, 740 exercise books and five footballs to the school while Mr. Avoka, MP for the area pledged 4 million cedis from his share of the MP's common fund for the extension of electricity to the Kusanaba Senior Secondary School also in the Bawku West District. Prizes including books and students mattresses were presented to deserving students.