Elmina (C/R), Nov 2, GNA - The Deputy Minister of Education, Dr Joseph Samuel Annan, has appealed to polytechnic students to take their studies seriously and make maximum use of opportunities at their disposal to develop their potentials.

Dr Annan, who was addressing the 70th anniversary celebration of Archbishop Porter Girls Polytechnic at Elmina, assured the institution that the government would continue to provide enabling environment for polytechnics to complement the efforts of government in the provision of quality technical and vocation education.

He commended the Catholic Church for supporting the government in its developmental programmes.

Dr Annan, the Member of Parliament for Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem, appealed to management to work towards getting accreditation to offer degree courses.

Mrs Ama Benyiwa Doe, the Central Regional Minister, said the government was aware of the numerous challenges facing the school and was doing all it could to address them. She said the government was stopping at nothing to ensure improvement in quality and access to education and that the government was determined to reach out to all schools in the country to address some of their pressing needs.

The Rev Sister Theresa Roberts, the Principal of the Institute, enumerated some achievements of the school and said the school has officially been registered as Grade "A" private institution due to its successes.

She said the school had problems including uncompleted bungalows and appealed to the government to support them to complete their development programmes.

The Rev Sis Roberts praised the past students and the staff for their contribution towards the development of the institution. The Most Reverend Matthias Kobena Nketsia, Archbishop of Cape Coast commended the school for its achievements.

"You have produced women of substance who are fully involved in the progress of mother Ghana especially in the area of secretarial jobs", he said.

The School was originally founded as vocational school by the Sisters of Our Lady of Apostles (OLA) in 1940 in the compound of St Mary's Primary School, Cape Coast.