ADDRESS BY MR. E.A. SEKYERE, HEADMASTER, PREMPEH COLLEGE ON THE OCCASION OF THE GOLDEN JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS ORGANNIZED BY THE PREMPEH COLLEGE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION OF NORTH AMERICA IN WASHINGTON, DC, SATURDAY NOVEMBER 4, 1999.
Mr. Chairman, Fellow Amanfoo, Ladies and gentlemen.
Let me begin by thanking you all for inviting me, and for showing interest in Prempeh College. This meeting is indeed historic as it comes at a time wwe celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the founding of Prempeh College, and at a time we are bracing ourselves up to enter a new millenium.
I see the invitation as an indication of your interest in the College, and as an indication of your desire to explore areas of assistance to the College.
Mr. Chairman, as you are already aware, Prempeh College is a symbol of a fruitful co-operation between Presbyterian and Methodisst Churches, the Kumasi Traditional Council, and the Government of Ghana.
I do not intend to delve into the history of the College. What I intend to do is to present to you a brief Situational Report on the current developments at Prempeh College.
Mr. Chairman, Fellow Amanfoo, Ladies and Gentlemmen, I wish to begin by giving you some background information.
It might interest you to know that when the Former Headmasster, Mr. R.T. Sackey left the school in 1995 on his retirement, his immediate Assistant, Mr. Twwumasi Amponsah, became the Acting Headmaster of Prempeh College from January 1996 to December 1997. At the end of his second term in office in December 1997, he was asked to hand over the administration of the school to me. He failed to hand over to me because of controversies over my religious inclination. Mr. Twumasi Amponsah was however directed by the Ghana Education Service to hand over the administration of the school to his immediate assistant, Mr. F.Y. Asamoah in January 1998, and proceed to the Regional Educational Directorate. Later in the year, the Ghana Education Service (GES) Council caused a selection interview to be conducted to appoint a Substantive Headmaster. I emerged as the most suitable candidate.
I assumed office of Prempeh College in January 1999, amid anxieties and great expectations. I immediately set myself the task of restructuring the administration, and introducing reforms to salvage the image of the school with respect to discipline and environmentall sanitation.
My mission was to salvage the image of the school and relaunch Prempeh College into the next millenium. To improve discipline, there was the need to revive some of the old traditions of the school, such as the School Prayer, Midweek House devotions, the Bell Extraordinary, and the School Menu.
To improve the environmental tone of the school, we have intensified the Saturday House Inspection and General Inspection, and intensified mid-week House inspections as well.
We have also reintroduced the Flowwer Gardening exercise to beautify the surroundings of the Houses.
Academics:
I am happy to report that we are mending our academic fences. We have intensified supervision of Teacher-Student Class attendance, and we have revisited the old tradition of displaying End of Term Examination Results on Notice Boards.
Over the past six years, the school has recorded significant progress in Academic performance. Prempeh College today ranks among the Top 3 Senior Secondary Schools in the country. The 1998 Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations were spectaculaar. Out of the 364 candidates who sat for the examinations, 363 passed. 344 out of the 363 passed in 6 or 7 subjects. The percentage pass in 6 or 7 subjects is 95.5%. 313 candidates out of the 344 who passed in 6 or 7 subjects qualify to write the University Entrance Examinations. These are indeed impressive results.
Positive Achievements in Sports:
We have been encouraging students to engage in sporting activities. We have also reintroduced House Training sections supervised by Housemasters and the Physical Education Tutors. I am happy to report that the College has lifted a number of trophies in major sporting competitionss in recent times. Over the past five years, we have won the Boys' Hockey, Volleyball and Table Tennis Champions a couple times. This year, we won the Boys' Table Tennis Championships by thrashing Opoku Ware School by two straight sets in the final game.
In athletics, our achievements have always been impressive. Over the past five years, we have always won the Zonal Athletics Competition. This year, we took the first place in the Zonal Athletics Championships, and took the second place in the Superzonal Athletics Championships. Though we were beaten by the Santasi boys, we were adjudged the Best-behaved Institution of the 86 schools throughout the period of the Games. That is certainly an enviable achievement, and a feather in our cap. It is an indication that the school discipline has improved tremendously.
We are providing facilities and equipment to improve sports development in the College. The Basketball Court has been renovated since we want to revive interest in the game.
Cadet Corps:
Interest in the Cadet Corps seemed to be waning at the time the College did not have a substantive Headmaster.
I am happy to report that we have revived interest in the Cadet Corps. Sixty sets of uniformms have been purcgased for the College Cadet Corps, and the Armoury has been given a face-lift.
College Choir:
The College Choir has not been left out of the incentive packages of the College Administration. We have purchased a piano for the choir, and plans are underway to purchase new choir robes as well. We appreciate the role of the school choir in school acttivities. During Sunday Morning and Evening non-denominational servicess, and during important functions, the choir renders beautiful soul inspiring songs. It might interest you to know that the school choir won a National Singing Competition organised recently for Senior Secondary Schools in the Male Voices Divison.
Naational Science & Maths Quiz:
Our achivements in the National Science and Maths Quiz have been impressive. Since the inceptionn of the competition in 1994, we have won the championships twice, and have been runners-up once. Prempeh College won the maiden championships in 1994 by defeating Achimota School in the finals, and again won the championships in 1996 by defeating PreSec (Legon) in the finals. The competition is only six years old, and we have been to the finals three times out of which we have been champions twice and runners-up once. No school has been able to equal that record! Achimota have won the championships once (1998) and have been runners-up once (1994), PreSec have won it once (1995), and have been runners-up once (1996), Opoku ware School have won the championships once (1997) and Mfantsipim have also won the championships once (1999). Also, we convincingly beat Achimota School and eliminated them from the competition this year.
Prempeh College certainly has an enviable record, and Amanfoo must be proud of our achievements. We are going to move tooth and nail to win the next championships.
I wish to inform colleague Amanfoo that our achievements are not restricted to thee Science & Maths Quiz. We have equally made an impact in other competitions. I am happy to inform you that we are the current National Champions of the GOIL DEBATING TIME contest organised by the Ghana Broaadcasting Corporation, and sponsored by Goil Ghana Limited.
Christian Life on Campus:
Christian life on campus is being given a boost: Morning devotion, mid-week House devotions, Sunday Morning and Evening non-denominational services aare all part of Christian life on campus.
We even encourage students to preach during Sunday Evening non-denominational services. We provide the religious and moral training that will prepare our students for the challenges that lie ahead so that they will live a life that is honest, a life that is true, and a life that is good.
Clubbs and Societiees:
There are a number of clubs and societies in the school. Students are encouraged to join at least one club or society because we believe thhat the clubs and societies offer students an avenue to engage in healthy intereaction.
Members of a club or society identify themselves with the group, conform to thhe group norms annd practices, and pursue common goals and objectives. Such interaction promotes a sense of unity which is so vital in the training and development of the youth.
Facilities and Infrastructure:
There has been a general improvement in facilities and infrastructure. The Dormitories and Classroom Blocks have been given a face-lift. Pearson House, Aggrey House, Guggisberg House, and Osei Tutu House have been renovated through a Ghana Government Contract Award. Plans are underway to renovate Ramseyyer, Butler, Freeman and Serwaa as well. A new Classroom Block is under construction. The Library Complex Block is almost 95% completed. Plans are far advanced to get the Library Complex Block ready before the Climax of the Golden Jubilee Celebrations on 4th December 1999.
The School Administration has purchased a Satellite Dish and Decoder, and has provided all the Houses with a Televison set. Students can now listen to TV News and view educative programms on Ghana Television and on DSTV.
The Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), one of the major stakeholder groups, is making significant contributions to the development of the College. The PTA has provided a 24 KVA Perkins Poweer Generator and a 15 Seater Air Conditioned KIA Besta Bus dubbed Golden Jubilee Bus. The PTA has also built a six unit Teaching Staff Apartment to ease the Staff Accomodation problem on campus.
The Prempeh College Alumni Association in Ghana is also showing keen interest in the development of the school. The Alumni Association in Ghana has cut the sod to commence work on thee building of a Dorrmitory Block to be named Opoku Ware House in honour of the late Otumfuo Opoku Ware II who maintained close links with the school since its establishment in 1949. Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene, pledged 10 million as his contribution towards the Building of Opoku Ware House when the Alumni Association recently paid a courtesy call on him at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi.
Mr. Chairman, Fellow Amanfoo, as you can see from my Report, a lot is being done in the area ooof discipline and in the improvement of facilities aaand infrastructure to promote effective Teaching and learning. The image of the school has improved so remarkably that people are proud to be associated with the school in one day or the other.
It is indeed gratifying to note that Prempeh College has chalked a number of successes over the pastt fifty years, but you and I will agree that there is a lot more that can be achieved through our collective efforts.
I see the Prempeh College Alumni Association as one Big Family united in spirit with a common resolve to make Prempeh College a unique educational experience. I believe that Amanfoo in the USA can explore the possibilities off providing Prempeh College with an internet facility. You all know too well the benefits of the Internet. It gives you instant access too valuable information, and gives you instant communication access all at no cost. This is the kind of unique experience we have to offer our students since we live in a world of Information technology.
Government alone can no longer bear the entire cost of education in the country. The private sector must share the cost of of education with Government to meet the country's manpower and development needs. Alumni Associations must also be engaged in effective cost sharing to make an impact in the national development effort.
The time has now come for Amanfoo in Ghana to link up effectively with Amanfoo in North America, and in the U.K. and elsewhere with a view to providing concrete assistance to Prempeh College. It is only through such effective networking that the Alumni Associations (a major stakeholder) will be able to make aa positive impact in the development of the school in the 21st century.
Let me once again thank you all for inviting me, and for treating me to nice hospitality.
Thank you, and May God Bless our United endeavours.
