The Ghana Education Service (GES) Accra Metro Education Directorate, Ga Mashie Circuit, has inaugurated the Independence Avenue Cluster of Schools’ School Management Committee (SMC) to oversee the management of three schools. The schools under the cluster include Independence Avenue 1 Basic School, Independence Avenue 2 Basic School, and Bishop Boys Primary School.
The Independence Avenue Cluster of Schools, established in 1906, is one of the oldest public primary schools in the Central Business District (CBD) of Accra. The cluster has a total student population of 778 pupils. Recently, the school underwent redevelopment, which included the construction of a 3-storey, 18-unit classroom block, fully furnished with modern amenities such as science and computer laboratories.
The inauguration of the SMC marks a significant milestone in the efforts to improve education in the area. The committee is expected to play a crucial role in raising funds and supporting the schools to improve their image and provide quality education.
Theophilus Adjei, the Schools Improvement Support Officer for Gamashie Circuit, in an interview alongside the inaugural ceremony emphasized the importance of the SMC in raising funds and supporting the schools to improve their image. As an ex-officio member of the SMC, Adjei will work closely with the Chairman, committee members, and other stakeholders to achieve this goal.
The SMC has identified several challenges that need to be addressed, including high electricity costs, water scarcity, and the need for additional facilities, such as a kindergarten library. Despite these challenges, the AMA is providing security support, ensuring the safety of students and staff.
Adjei appealed to parents, community leaders, and MPs to support the school in its development efforts. He emphasized the importance of collective responsibility in maintaining the school’s infrastructure and providing a conducive learning environment for students.
Speaking in his capacity as the chairperson of the occasion, Nii Amarkai III, the Dzaasetse of Asere Kotopon stated emphatically that its time for Traditional Leaders within the GaDangme communities to get involved in the management of the various schools within the area.
The Traditional Leader seized the opportunity to make a passionate appeal to corporate organisations to support in the provision of bore-holes to serve as source of portable water for these schools.
Also he reached out ro the government to support in footing of electricity bills of the school or better still, providing direct electric power for the schools thus taking them off the metering system.
Touching on the preservation of GaDangme culture, Nii Amarkai III expressed concern about the lack of GaDangme language teachers in the various schools within the Greater Accra Region and urged church pastors within the GaDangme community to encourage their members who are conversant on the GaDangme language should reach out to him (NII Amarkai III) for the necessary supporting in becoming GaDangme language teachers.
The inauguration of the SMC marks a new chapter in the partnership between the schools, the community, and the government. With the collective efforts of all stakeholders, the Independence Avenue Cluster of schools are poised for growth and development.
