Tsito-Awudome Sec Tech celebrates 25 years …with call for infrastructure development

FArom Samuel Agbewode
The Headmaster of the Tsito-Awudome Secondary Technical School, Mr. Anthony Komla, has commended the chiefs and people of the area for the special interest they have shown in the activities of the institution.
Mr. Komla said that the school, which would be celebrating its 25th Anniversary in September this year, was started by the chiefs and people of Tsito-Awudome as a community school, before the government later absorbed it into the public system.
The Headmaster, who gave the commendation when he briefed the media on preparations, said even though the chiefs and people of Tsito-Awudome continue to support the school in diverse ways, as well as the government, a lot more was needed to be done.
Mr. Komla said the school, which has 850 students, won the Best Second Cycle Agriculture and Best District School Agriculture awards in 1994.
He continued that the school offers programmes such as auto-engineering, applied electricity, leather work, and building and construction among others, which are not being offered in many of the technical institutions.
Mr. Komla pointed out that as a result of the importance the school has for the environment, it has cultivated a woodlot, as well as demonstration farm.
He said a lot more needed to be done to improve upon the boarding facilities and general infrastructure.
Mr. Komla commended the Old Student’s Association for continuing to play crucial roles in development efforts, adding that the launching of the 25th Anniversary celebration in Accra was largely organised by the Association.
The PTA, according to the Headmaster, had provided three science laboratories – biology, chemistry and physics – as well as the provision of boreholes for the school, which had helped in addressing the acute water problem bringing relief to the students, who used to walk the distance to the Tsito township to fetch water.
Mr. Komla stressed that the institution, as a boarding school, currently faced infrastructural problems in the areas of classrooms, dormitories for boys and girls, and a befitting administration block complex.
Presently, he added, the two Assistant Headmasters share an office, which also serves as a store room, while the Bursar has to share his office with accounts clerks.
He revealed that only the Headmaster and one of his assistants were accommodated in the school, whilst the rest of the teachers lived in rented houses in Ho and the Tsito town, which was affecting the enforcing of discipline after normal school hours.
Mr. Komla disclosed that the girls have a dormitory, while the PTA’s uncompleted two storey building dormitory for boys was currently housing some of the boys, while others were housed in rented private premises close to the school.
A storey building girls’ dormitory project under the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), when completed, would go a long way in addressing the accommodation problem.
He continued that the authorities have had to convert some of the poultry buildings into classrooms, and hoped that the 25th Anniversary celebration would expose the institution to the world, so that organisations working in the area of education and non-governmental organisations (NGO) would come to the aid of the school.
The Headmaster, therefore, said it was the hope that the government in particular would continue and complete work on the dormitory project, which had come to a standstill, to help provide accommodation for the students, as well as the teachers to help promote discipline, teaching and learning.
Mr. Komla pointed out that the school, as a matter of urgency, needed an administration block complex that would include a kitchen, store room, library and the various offices, including teachers’ common room, to help reduce the current congestion being experienced in the building being used as the administration block.
He also disclosed that the school needed standard workshops for the technical programmes, as the structures being used were not adequate, while the dining hall of the school was not big enough to accommodate all the boarding students.
Mr. Komla said lack of vehicle was equally another challenge, adding that due to its deteriorating condition, the school found it difficult to embark on industrial tours, which were crucial in educational activities.