Despite his busy schedules, the President of the republic of Ghana, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, spared time and joined his Alma Mater, Kinbu Senior High Technical School (SHTS), to celebrate the school’s 150th Anniversary and Speech & Prize Giving Day on Saturday, 28th September, 2024, at the school premises, Kinbu, Accra.
Speaking at the ceremony, President Akufo-Addo recounted his old school days, when his father used to alight him at the school, formerly known as Rowe-Road School, then later became Kinbu Experimental Junior Secondary School in 1976. The school was later upgraded to a Senior Secondary School status in 1990 and thus became Kinbu Secondary Technical School.
The President said Kinbu SHTS is very dear to his heart because the school shaped his life at the early stages of his education, stressing that, “Kinbu SHTS has not only shaped my life, but has helped countless people who passed through the school. It is the discipline, hard work and critical thinking by the school that shaped me into whom I am today.
My own educational journey began from Kinbu. That is why I made sure I rushed back to Ghana after addressing the United Nation General Assembly few hours ago, to attend this important and memorable milestone achieved by this noble school of ours”.
For his anniversary gift to the school, President Akufo-Addo presented a brand new Pick-up, promised a new school bus and provided financial support to the smooth organization of the 150th anniversary and Speech & Prize Giving Day. He assured them that he would continue to support the school even after he ends his tenure as President of Ghana in January 7, 2025.
In his welcome address, the Board Chairman of Kinbu SHTS, Mr. John Mensah Anang said, the 150th Anniversary celebration is more than just a commemoration of our history, It is a testament to our resilience and adaptability in meeting the educational needs of our community. The school’s mission is to prepare students with essential 21st century skills such as innovation, critical thinking and environmental consciousness, ensuring they are well-equipped to navigate the complexities of today’s world.
The Chairperson of the occasion, Mrs. Eunice Mildred Nelson-Cofie Esq, an old student of Kinbu SHTS, in her address said, she recalled over 4 decades ago when her mother told her that she wanted her to attend Kinbu. Even though she was not happy about the location of the school, in a market area, her mother challenged her to shine like a star anywhere she find herself. And today, she has not regretted attending Kinbu SHTS.
On the theme for the celebration, the chairperson said, there is the need to celebrate God Almighty as a key stakeholder who gives us life to be able to achieve our dreams. She added that the role of stakeholders is to ensure that the students are not only prepared academically, but are also equipped with the skills necessary to thrive in the 21st century, such as the integration of technology in the classroom, beyond the traditional classroom walls. She recognized all the stakeholders of the school and celebrated their roles in building great leaders like His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
The Headmistress of Kinbu SHTS, Mrs. Sylvia M. Letcher-Teye, made a special appeal to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to adopt Kinbu Senior High Technical School as his own and make it a model school. She requested that dormitory blocks be built and name after him, to help students coming from far away places such as Dodowa, Kasoa, Nsawam, Teiman and across other regions to be housed in the dormitories and to improve learning outcomes.
She also appeal that the portions of the school land being occupied by the GPRTU, Vendors, Technical Examinations Unit, Accra Metro Education and others, should be returned to the school, as a matter of urgency, for construction of Assembly Hall, Laboratories and an Astro Turf for Sporting activities. The Headmistress thanked the Chairman of the 150th Anniversary Planning Committee Mr. Isaiah Adzigodie and his able members for working around the clock to bring this memorable occasion to fruition.
Speaking to the media at the sidelines of the ceremony, the President of Kinbu Old Students Association (KOSA), Ing. Joseph Oddei, called on all old students to come together to contribute their quota to bring Kinbu to the next level of its developmental agenda.
He thanked all the old students who supported in diverse ways to bring this great ceremony to light, with a special mention of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Mrs. Eunice Mildred Nelson-Cofie Esq for painting the Administration block. Ing. Joseph Oddei reconstructed the main entrance to the school with an arch to beautify the school.
The Guest Speaker for the ceremony, Dr. Ishmael Amanor Doodo, CEO and Founder of MaSAI Holdings Ltd, in a speech read on his behalf by Ing. Benjamin Owusu, an Engineer at Ghana Civil Aviation Authority, an old boy of the 1979 year group, spoke on the theme for the anniversary: “Equipping our Future Leaders with 21st Century Skills – The Role of the Stakeholders”.
The School Prefect of Kinbu SHTS, Master Dogba Joseph Kwabena, in his speech said under his administration, as part of their project, the prefectural body, together with the SRC, plan to improve upon discipline, academic performance and to award some teachers for their significant contributions to the development of the school. This, they believe, is an excellent way to appreciate their efforts and motivate them to continue affecting the learners positively.
He reminded the authorities that despite high achievements choked by the school, there are still areas in need of improvement. He mentioned inadequate furniture, insufficient classroom blocks, unappealing washrooms, an overcrowded ICT Lab and dilapidated canteen.
He therefore took the opportunity to appeal to His Excellency, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Parents and other stakeholders to help find practical solutions to these pressing issues, so that the school could achieve greater successes.
Goodwill messages were given by the Director of Education, Dr. Eric Nkansah, Regional Director of Education, Mr. Stephen Abamfo, Municipal Director of Education for Korle Klottey, Mr. Philip Aidoo, MCE for Korle Klottey, Hon. Samuel Nii Adjei Tawiah, MP for Korle Klottey Constituency, Hon. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings and the Minister of Education, Hon. Dr. Yaw Adutwum.
Solidarity Messages were also presented by the Board Chairman on behalf of the board, PTA, Assistant Headmistress-Administration, Assistant Headmaster-Academic, Assistant Head, Domestic, Science Department, Mathematics Department, Visual Arts Department, Technical Department, Social Science Department, Business Department, Physical Education Department, Library, Home Economics, Immediate Past Girls’ Prefect – Miss Comfort Monney Arthur, SRC and other sister schools in the Greater Accra region.
