West Africa SHS marks 67th anniversary
West Africa Senior High School on Saturday marked its 67th Anniversary with a Speech and Prize Giving Day.
It was on the theme: “Quality Second Cycle Education, The Role of Stakeholders.”
The school, established in 1946, was initially called West Africa College of Commerce by its two founders; the late Reverend J. C. Tettey and Mr Emmanuel Addo, before the present name was adopted in 1954.
The school was absorbed into the public system in 1954 and had since been operating as a government assisted secondary school.
Lady Queene Asiedu-Akrofi, Headmistress, said the school recorded 100 per cent passes in the West Africa Senior Secondary Certificate Examination in both year 2011 and 2012.
She said as a result of the two-tier (three and four year candidates) for this academic year, the school presented 1,030 candidates and expressed the belief that they would all come out with “flying colours”.
The Headmistress said the school received full complement of science equipment from the Ministry of Education and were making good use of them.
“In previous years, we have consistently requested for a boarding facility but we are yet to see the beginning of such a project.
“Similarly, staff accommodation continues to be a major handicap of the school and we ask that something be done about this. We allotted a plot of land that can give us eight units four storey block complex to accommodate our staff.
“The project, which commenced in 2008 by the Ghana Education Trust Fund has since been abandoned, we request for its activation,” Madam Asiedu-Akrofi said.
She appealed to the La Nkwantanan-Madina Municipal Authority to eject the hawkers who had turned the shoulders of the newly constructed highway into a market as their activities, which was directly in front of the school wall, disrupted academic work.
Professor Clement Somuah, Board Chairman and a former student of the school, promised to set up a scholarship scheme in the ensuing academic year for the best science and mathematics students over a five-year period.
Mr Amadu Sorogo, Member of Parliament for La Nkwantanan-Madina, gave the assurance that he would follow up on the GET-Fund project in the school to ensure that was it was revived.
Miss Gertrude Taylor, School Prefect, lauded Madam Asiedu-Akrofi for her remarkable performance that had turned the fortunes of the school around.
Students and staff who had performed exemplarily were honoured.
The school, since its establishment, had witnessed four different locations in Accra; namely Tudu, Aams Hotel, Accra Newtown and finally to its present site at Adenta in October 1987.
It begun with eight students but now has a student population of 2,143 comprising 1,261 boys and 882 girls, with 94 teaching staff and 30 non-teaching staff.
Source: GNA