MAKE EDUCATION A PRIORITY — PARENTS URGED (PAGE 17)

THE Great Counsellor Preparatory and Junior High School at Adjei Kojo, near Ashaiman, has held its maiden graduation and speech and prize-giving day with a call on parents to make education their priority.
The school, which was established in 2000 with 24 pupils, now has about 400 pupils and is ensuring that education is made affordable to parents, considering its location.
The Headmaster of the school, Mr Alpha Awuni Asibi, said the school had achieved some successes within the short period of its existence through hard work, self-motivation, discipline and devotion on the part of teachers and directors of the institution.
He said in 2007 pioneers of the school recorded 99 per cent distinction and one per cent excellence during the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).
Mr Asibi noted that the school’s achievement was not limited to academics and that the school had won many other enviable laurels including 100 and 200-metre races at the recent inter-school festival in the region that was organised by the Ghana National Association of Private Schools.
He commended parents for the prompt payment of school fees, which had encouraged the directors to provide well-equipped school facilities and appealed to them to assist the institution to prepare a good environment to make the frontage accessible.
Mr Asibi explained that the external area of the school was waterlogged and had continued to breed mosquitoes, which created an unhealthy environment for the school.
He regretted that the situation had become a source of concern to the school authorities and efforts were being made to provide a drainage.
A parent, Mr Saddique Boateng, who chaired the function, appealed to parents to ensure that children acquired the habit of reading to improve their language and broaden their knowledge.
He commended the management of Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL) for producing Junior Graphic, which had greatly helped the schoolchildren in their studies.
Mr Boateng urged the GCGL to continue to render that service to children and urged parents to encourage their children to read the Junior Graphic.
He said misunderstandings at home had negative effects on children and therefore called on parents to ensure peace at home.
The Proprietor/Director of the school, Mr Patrick Sakpiti, decorated pupils who were moving from the preparatory to the primary and from the primary to the junior high school levels.
The programme was interspersed with interesting southern and northern cultural drumming and dancing by the pupils.