Akim Swedru (E/R), April 11, GNA - The Chief of Bosome Akwamu in the Birim South District, has stressed the need for heads of academic institutions to provide visionary leadership, by being innovative to offer solutions to the problems confronting their schools.

Nana Professor Asante Kodan II, said there was the need for the heads, to be proactive in soliciting funds from the Ghana Education Trust Fund and other sources to undertake educational projects.

Nana Prof Kodan was speaking as one of the chairpersons at a farewell service in honour of the Very Rev Abraham Osei Donkor, out-going Headmaster of Akim Swedru Senior High School in the Eastern Region. The church service at the local Methodist Church was attended by a cross section of the public.

A former Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Mr Felix Owusu-Agyapong, also a co-chairperson for the occasion, described Very Rev Donkor, a Methodist Priest as a man with academic prowess and commended him and his staff for working diligently in improving on discipline, academic work and sports in the school. The former MP noted that eight years back, the school's examination result list was poor, but for now; 93the 91As' are collected just like snails," and appealed to the incoming headmaster to uphold the mantle and ensure that subsequent examination results, would be among the top 10 in th= e country.

The Rt Rev Col Paul Blewu (Rtd), Bishop of the Akim Oda Diocese of the Methodist Church, suggested the essence of the nation moving away from the traditional stereo-type academic order, to a more dynamic one imbued with creativity and talent development. He therefore, called on heads of schools to forge healthy working relationships with stakeholders, to help facilitate infrastructural and logistic advancement. Delivering the sermon, the Very Rev Donkor, 52, a citizen of Jukwa Mfu= o in the Central Region, who has headed the school for seven years, noted tha= t the communities' advancement was sometimes undermined by polarisation alo= ng chieftaincy lines, while almost every issue was politicised.

He exhorted chiefs in the community to regard their children's education as an investment which they must build upon to yield profit by providing their children with the needed educational materials, to make the investment worthwhile. Very Rev Donkor, one-time Assistant Headmaster of Wesley Girls High School, Cape Coast, asked Ghanaians to eschew insults, disrespect for chief= s and political leadership, coupled with intolerance of divergent opinions, t= o help promote teaching and learning. He said in spite of the progress made by the school it was confronted with challenges which demand urgent attention. The Very Rev Minister now goes to Koforidua as the Headmaster of the Ghana Senior High School. The school, established in 1970, has 1,840 students.