CAPE COAST: The Ayifua St Mary’s Anglican Basic School in Cape Coast has made an appeal to the Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly (CCMA) and the Metro Education Directorate for an expansion of the school’s infrastructure to manage the increasing number of students. The management is also seeking renovation of existing facilities to enhance the learning environment.
According to Ghana News Agency, the school currently has over 600 pupils and is receiving weekly admission requests that cannot be accommodated due to limited space. The Headmistress, Madam Gifty Safoah Buckman, highlighted these challenges during the school’s second Speech and Prize Giving Day, where she mentioned that the school’s library is being used as a classroom for KG1 pupils, while the KG2 class remains in a deteriorating block.
Madam Buckman appealed to the Metro Assembly to construct a new block to meet the rising demand for admissions in the coming academic year. She also urged the Metro Education Directorate to collaborate with the Met
ro Assembly to build a dedicated KG block for the school. The event, themed ‘Improving Academic Excellence in Basic Schools: the Role of Stakeholders,’ featured performances by the pupils, including drama, cultural dance, poem recitals, and choreography.
The headmistress praised the steady progress in academic work, noting improvements in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) results and successes in academic competitions within the Metropolis. She announced plans for several projects, including the skidding of classrooms, completion of the canteen and drainage system, and acquiring a public address system next year. She called on former students to form an association to support their alma mater and thanked stakeholders for their contributions to the school’s progress.
Mr Charles Agyapong Boamah, Headmaster of University Practice Senior High School, emphasized the shared responsibility of improving education standards and urged stakeholders to fulfill their roles diligently. He encouraged stud
ents to set academic goals and praised teachers as pillars of academic excellence.
Madam Phyllis Asante-Krobea, Metro Education Director, assured that the government is working to improve education standards in Ghana through timely teacher payments and new policies. She encouraged teachers to go the extra mile in their efforts, while Mrs Regina Quartey Appiah-Sekyere, Regional Manager of the Anglican Educational Unit, urged schools to embrace digital technology in teaching.
Mr Horace Ekow Ewusi, NPP parliamentary candidate for the Cape Coast North Constituency, promised a new block for the school if he wins the upcoming elections and donated GHS5,000 towards the school’s renovation projects.