Tarkwa Senior High School (TARSCO) in the Western Region climaxed its 60th anniversary celebrations on Saturday with the theme “Achieving academic excellence through discipline for national development.”
The event, which showcased the exploits of TARSCO in the academic arena, and educational development, also celebrated pioneers and reflected on the school’s future.
The Deputy Minister of Education, Mrs. Gifty Twum-Ampofo, in a speech read on behalf of the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, and Education Minister, Yaw Osei Adutwum, noted that nations throughout the world had realised that education was the most important tool for rapid socio-economic development.
In view of this, she said, government fashioned out the Free SHS programme including TVET at second cycle education.
Mrs Twum-Ampofo said, although the policy programme had been very expensive, taking a chunk of the budget, free SHS had increased enrollments in our schools and provided a lot of opportunities for the youth to enhance themselves, adding “Quality has also improved.
The Coordinator at the Technical Division of the Ministry of Finance, Ms. Eva Mends, who chaired the celebration, thanked God for the 60th anniversary of TARSCO and prayed that her alma mater continue to groom and mentor future leaders.
TARSCO, she recalled, provided the discipline that injected a sense of can-do spirit in students and that it was unsurprising that old students occupied enviable positions in Ghana’s political and academic space.
Ms. Mends said the celebration was a period of stocktaking and generational planning to invest in the future generation of TARSCO and prepare them to be relevant in the fast-changing and multi-tasking world of work.
She said, “Our school has made remarkable achievements driven by the zeal, direction, and can-do spirit of the founding fathers.”
Sixty years after the establishment of TARSCO, as part of the transformation narrative to be relevant to the fast-changing times “We must create generational thinkers, who would fashion the vision of our great school based on the philosophy of Alvin Eugene Toffler, that the illiterates of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write.
“We need to invest in future generations to be relevant to the needs of society in the next 60 years—with the creative mentality to appreciate that changing societies are in desperate need of intellectuals who can blend theory and practice,” said Ms. Mends, an old student.
”She challenged future generations of TARSCO to start dreaming about where they want to be by the next Diamond Celebration and also worked “to become a household name of excellence and integrity in the education sector of our nation.”
The Member of Parliament of Tarkwa-Nsuem, who doubles as the Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, George Mireku-Duker, addressing the gathering, said, the NPP government was committed to using education as a bedrock of Ghana’s development, adding, that the government will therefore continue to open its arms to the provision of the school’s needs.
He told TARSCO faithful to help make the school one the best school in the country.
Mr. Mireku-Duker urged the leadership of the TARSCO to be relentless in their efforts to continue imbibing the students’ discipline that is required in them to excel in their academics.
He, therefore, entreated all stakeholders of the school to embrace technological advancement to embrace teaching and learning to give the students the feel of real life.
The Headmaster of TARSCO, George Oduro, mentioned that the journey of the school was no mean achievement and a significant milestone.
He said the pioneers encountered countless problems as students slept on the floor because there were no beds.
“It has produced over 18,000 prominent men and women of academic prowess who are contributing meaningfully towards the socio-economic development of Ghana.”
Highlights of the activities to climax the anniversary were non-denominational church service, general clean-up exercise at Tarkwa township and Efuanta market, friendly football matches, inter-school games between TARSCO and Fiaseman SHS (FIASSEC), homecoming, mentoring and career guidance, and a fundraising dinner dance.
Dignitaries who graced the occasion include; the Deputy Minister for Education, Mrs. Gifty Twum-Ampofo, George Mireku-Duker, MP for Tarkwa-Nsuem and Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Eva Mendes, Coordinator at the Technical Division of Ministry of Finance, Benjamin Kessie, MCE for Tarkwa-Nsuem, Dr. Isaac Dasmani, MCE for Prestea Huni-Valley, Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, President of Ghana Journalists Association Gyasehene of Apinto Divisional Council, Nana Dr. Adarkwa Bediako III, Queen mother of Apinto Divisional Council, Nana Abena Boaduwaa II, other traditional leaders, among others.
Ghana | Atinkaonline.com
