Diabenekrom(WR), April 12, GNA - Mrs Angelina Baiden-Amissah, Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Sports on Saturday said government was determined to provide quality education at all levels to ensure the provision of requisite knowledge and skills for building a modern nation. She said stakeholders in education including religious organisations, NGOs and individuals were being encouraged to provide technical and vocation education to supplement government's efforts in that sub-sector of education.

Mrs Baiden-Amissah made the observation when addressing the maiden Speech and Prize-Giving Day of Diabene Senior High Technical School at Diabene near Takoradi. It was under the theme: "The New Education Reform and the Community Senior High Technical School-The Way Forward". She said provision of vocation and skills training for the youth were not only to accelerate national development but also to reduce the incidence of social vices and other problems that tended to destroy the fabric of society.

"The availability of a large pool of skilled manpower for industry and commerce is one of the major factors that help to attract foreign investors," she added. Mrs Baiden-Amissah noted that realisation of Ghana's dream of becoming the gateway to the West African Sub-Region would depend on the availability well-trained skilled men and women to take on technical jobs. She said out of the 31 schools selected for upgrading during the first phase of the policy, 21 have been completed and the rest were in various stages of completion. Under the second phase of the policy, 25 schools have been selected and the projects are on-going and the third phase would start soon.

Mrs Baiden-Amissah said her Ministry had ordered some buses for some selected schools and one would be allocated to the school. She advised the students to take their lessons serious and not engage in activities that could ruin their future. Mr Anthony Evans Amoah, Western Regional Minister said the Western Regional Coordinating Council would collaborate with school authorities to improve infrastructure and other facilities to enhance teaching and learning. He urged the students and staff to work hard to improve the poor academic performance of the school.

Mr Amoah advised parents to avoid spending their money on other issues at the expense of their children's education since the best asset they could bequeath to their children was quality education. Mrs Rebecca Efiba Dadzie, Western Regional Director of Education commended the headmaster, staff and other workers for providing selfless and devoted service to fulfil the dreams of founding fathers of the school.

Mr John Frank Cobbinah, Headmaster of the school appealed for support from the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports, the Western Regional Coordinating Council, NGOs and well-meaning individual to provide basic facilities and infrastructure to enhance academic and other activities of the school. Odeneho Gyapong Ababio, President of National House of Chiefs urged the staff to continue to give their best and said, "As a teacher, there is nothing more rewarding than to produce a successful student". Teachers, he said, must always take into account their role in the modelling of the child to become a useful adult for the community. Odeneho Ababio said discipline among students and staff must be enforced and urged the school authorities to institute awards for hard working staff.