Winneba (C/R), Oct 27, GNA - The Winneba Secondary School on Wednesday launched an appeal to the government, philanthropist, past students and the public to assist it to complete a 3.8 billion-cedi dormitory complex.
The three floor dormitory complex started in 1998 to reduce the school's acute accommodation problems, which was at a crisis stage, with tutors vacating their bungalows to be converted into dormitories, while they took up residence outside the school compound.
The conversions of the staff bungalows into student dormitories had also created additional problems for the school authorities, as facilities such as toilet and bathrooms were not designed for large numbers.
The plight of the school came to the fore during a working visit to the school by the Deputy Minister of Health and MP for the Efuttu Constituency, Mr Samuel Owusu-Agyei, Ms Helena Arkoh, Awutu-Efutu-Senya District Director of Education and Newsmen.
The visit was also to afford the MP the opportunity to fraternise with students, teachers and other academic staff.
The school also needs a 15-seater KVIP toilet, a bus and a fence wall around it to protect life and property and to prevent s encroachment on the school's land.
The school also known as WINNISEC for also needed a multipurpose assembly hall to cater for final year examinations and other social gatherings, as the present assembly/dinning hall is too small to accommodate the student population of 1,300 - 700 girls and 600 boys. In spite of the daunting challenges, the authorities have adopted self-motivated approach mechanism for both staff and students, which according to the head mistress, Mrs Cecilia Cofie led to the school obtaining its best results in recent times in last year's Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSSCE). Out of 418 candidates presented 341 passed in between six and eight subjects
She credited the success to the Board and Administration staffs' foresight and managerial expertise as well as the organisation of workshops on capacity building for tutors and assistance from well wishers.
Other factors that contributed to the performance of the school according to Mrs Cofie was the establishment of performance monitoring system for teachers, students and non-teaching staffs, research and documentation on the individual student progression and counselling unit.
Speaking to the student body, Mr Owusu-Agyei advised the students to eschew acts that would lead to indiscipline, "When the canker of indiscipline blossoms to its fullest, it will consume without discrimination".
"...It is disheartening that some students instead of concentrating on perusing academic lures chosen to sit on the fence and would even sometimes incite others to misbehave...but we are all at risk; rich or poor, government or opposition, young or old men and women," he said.
"The streets continue to be littered indiscriminately; lateness and other workplace acts of indiscipline remain a big problem; disobedience of school regulations continue to grow and generally many laws of the Ghana Education Services are flouted with impunity, by both teachers and students."
Mr Owusu-Agyei urged the student and staff to maintain a high environmental order, respect authority and adhere to rules and regulations. The Minister expressed regret that acts of indiscipline observed in schools' strike and workers' demonstrations, are sometimes justified or explained away as struggle for justice. He urged educational authorities and Student Representative Councils to adhere and enforce laws to ensure discipline. The Deputy Health Minister also cautioned the students against activities of paedophiles and homosexuals, who in the guise of tourists preyed on innocent children. He appealed to teachers to take active interest in the activities of their students, especially as most were in adolescent age and prone to various temptations and also to insulate them from sexual promiscuity that could lead to HIVAIDS.