Jasikan, Nov. 28, GNA - Dr Kweku Addeah, Director of the Financial Law Institute, Accra, has called for a review of the country's educational models to include finance innovation, to accommodate the increasing population of unemployed school leavers and graduates. He said this would provide an alternative source of employment for the youth and reduce the incidence of deprivation.

Dr Addeah made the call at the Golden Jubilee durbar of the Bueman Senior High School (BUSEC) at Jasikan in the Volta Region. It was on the theme: "50 Years of Academic Excellence: Successes and Challenges in a Deprived Environment." He called for a change in the mindset and a paradigm shift in planning for education by major stakeholders to ensure self-employment. Dr Addeah said that over popularizing the educational models exclusively on students' ability to "chew and pass" examinations and secure work in the public institutions was worrisome. He called for a review of the models to enable students use their "the head, hand and heart."

Dr Addeah commended the founder of BUSEC, the late Mr C. K. Nayo, and collaborators for laying a solid foundation for the school, which continue to yield dividend. Mr Henry Ford Kamel, Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources and NDC Member of Parliament for Buem, asked stakeholders in the educational sector to adopt empirical and scientific strategies, to create the requisite platform for harnessing resources from private and public institutions for development projections. He said this innovation would offer school authorities the opportunity to assess development, achievements and academic excellence.

Mr Joseph Z. Amenowode, Volta Regional Minister, said Ghana's vision of becoming a middle income country in the shortest time would be a mirage if education is not given the required attention. He reaffirmed the government's commitment to ensuring that every child attains quality education. Mr Amenowode said government would provide the requisite educational infrastructure and asked school Boards and Managements to properly manage existing school facilities.

He appealed to students to eschew laziness, stealing, dishonesty, armed robbery, drug abuse, cyber crime and occultism. Mr Samuel Kploanyi, Volta Regional Director of Education, asked the authorities of BUSEC to be development-oriented and introduce innovative measures that conform to the Ghana Education Service rules. Mr F. E. Ametefe, Headmaster of BUSEC, said student population of the school was 1,173 and a teaching and non-teaching staff of 100, from the humble beginning of 12 students when it was founded. He said the school to chalk successes and cited that it obtained 98.60 per cent passes in the 2009 WASSCE and 79.10 per cent in 2001. Mr Ametefe said BUSEC was confronted with challenges including inadequate staff accommodation, delay in the payment of government scholarship grants, inadequate means of transport and insufficient computers.

Mr Vincent Avonyo, President of Bueman Old Student's Association, said the group was funding a GHC 75,000 biogas toilet project, to ease pressure on existing toilets and to provide fuel for use at the school's kitchen. He advised students' against inordinate quest to get-rich overnight and instead they should learn hard to enable them to pass their examinations. As part of the celebration, a six-unit classroom block estimated at GHc 25, 000 was inaugurated, the bust of the founder of BUSEC, Mr Nayo was unveiled and staff, and both old students and current students were honoured for their contribution to the development of the school. 28 Nov. 10