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His Majesty Senior High Maiden Speech-day Anniversary held on 20th October 2012.
The Occassion was chaired by Mr. Felix Akuffo Badoo, Head, Test Admin. Div. WAEC.
Special Guest of Honour - Mrs. Akosua Takyiwaah Adu , Retired Regional Director of Education.
Guest Speaker - Rev. Nana Katu Oboedum V, Nat. President of the Heads of Private Secondary Schools
SPEECH BY THE PRINCIPAL OF HIS MAJESTY ACADEMY DELIVERED AT THE FIRST SPEECH & PRIZE-GIVING DAY OF THE SCHOOL ON SATURDAY, 20TH OCTOBER, 2012 ON THE THEME: CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE YOUTH THROUGH DELIVERY OF QUALITY EDUCATION-THE ROLE OF HIS MAJESTY ACADEMY
Mr Chairman
Directors of Education
Management members of the School
Headmaster
Heads of Senior High School Present
Members of the Parent Teacher Association
Teachers
Non Teaching Staff
The Press
Students
Invited Guests
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen
It affords me great pleasure to address this gathering on the occasion of the maiden Speech and Prize – Giving Day of His Majesty Academy.
I seize this opportunity to formally welcome all of you to this memorable occasion and to express our profound gratitude for your presence.
Our esteemed guests, parents, teachers, students, ladies and gentlemen,
May I once again warmly welcome you to our 1stSpeech and Prize Presentation.
This morning is a special gathering of all who have shared HIS MAJESTY ACADEMY’s 13th glorious years of success and achievements, and I am indeed very honoured by your presence. To our Chairman, Mr. Felix AkuffoBaddo,Head Test Administration Division,West African Examinations Council,we are most grateful that you can join us in our celebration despite your busy schedule, together with many key grassroots leaders in our midst. Can we at this moment extend our warmest welcome to our Guest Speaker ,Rev. Nana KatuOboedumV,National President, Conference of Heads of Private Secondary Schools, our Guest of Honour ,Mrs. AkosuaTakyiwaaAdu,Retired Director of Education, Mr. J.J Asare, Management Committee Member of His Majesty Academy and former headmaster of PRESEC,Legon,Mr. Johnson Omudie,Ritired Director of Education and Former Headmaster,Kinbu Secondary and all our community partners for taking time off to be with us this morning. Also to our alumni, ex-staff, and of course past Teachers of His Majesty Academy, and, as well as our sponsors and partners who have supported this programme, thank you for being a part of this momentous event to share our joy together.
Mr.Chairman,
His Majesty Academy established in year 1998 by Mr. Evans OpokuGyimah began with 5 students at Dansoman Sahara, within the premises of Jesus Alive Primary School. At the time of establishment, the objective was to top-up and provide quality pre-secondary education to Junior High School (JHS) graduates to prepare them for Senior High School (SHS) education. However, after a year, the school’s objectives and scope were expanded to include the provision of vacation and remedial classes to SHS students and graduates respectively.
The school subsequently introduced myriad of programmes including computer training education, SAT, TOEFL, GMAT, IGCSE O’ Level, General Business Certificate Examination (GBCE), Advanced Business Certificate Examination (ABCE), ACCA, CIB and NVTI Secretarial courses between 2001 and 2006.
By the year 2007, His Majesty Academy started a full-time Senior High School at its Dansoman Sahara campus within the Accra Metropolis. Educational programmes on offer include Business, General Arts and General Science preparing students towards the WASSCE examinations.
In the year 2009, the school added pre – university programmes to its bouquet programmes to facilitate the entry of students into tertiary institutions within and outside Ghana.
Presently, the school’s programmes have been modified and restricted to SHS programmes, WASSCE Remedial, Pre-Tertiary Diploma programmes and Computer training.
ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE SCHOOL
Mr. Chairman, Invited Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen
By a dint of hard work, the school has obtained legal accreditation from the Ghana Education Service for its secondary and pre-tertiary Diploma programmes. In addition, the West African Examinations Council has recognized the school to register its students for the MAY/JUNE WASSCE and has accordingly chosen the school as one of its November /DecemberPrivate Candidates examination centres since 2009. This means that students of His Majesty Academy do not have to travel to another school to write WAEC examinations.
The National Vocation and Technical Institute (NVTI) has also granted accreditation to the school to run secretarial programmes. His Majesty Academy is a recognized member of Ghana National Association of Private Schools (GNAPS) and the Conference of Heads of Private Secondary Schools (CHOPSS).
Mr. Chairman,
It is often said that most schools in Ghana started under trees but for His Majesty Academy our story is different. Interestingly, it was rather our first office that started under a tree.
Mr. Chairman.
Despite its humble beginning, the school achieved 100% pass in the May/June 2012 WASSCE Examination. This feat did not occur by fluke but by the commitment of the teaching and non-teaching staff of the school who work assiduously to ensure that students receive the best tuition to prepare them adequately for the WASSCE.
In view of these, I also want to warmly congratulate the Management, Headmaster, Members of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA), Teachers, the Non-teaching Staff as well as all Students of the School for the feat achieved so far. , We not oblivious of the several challenges we were confronted with on daily basis but irrespective of this, we are happy to know that some of your students have gained entry to the prestigious Universities as well as other Universities and tertiary institutions in the country.
In our quest to provide sound future for our students, the school entered into an affiliation agreement with KINGS University College by which graduates from His Majesty who enter into the said University are given some financial assistance.
On this note, We wish to express our sincere gratitude to the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) of the school for providing the school with overhead water tanks and supporting the school library.
CHALLENGES FACING THE SCHOOL AND APPEAL FOR ASSISTANCE
Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, in spite of the achievements enumerated above, the school is faced with some challenges for which we appeal to the government, Ghana Education Service, parents and all stakeholders to come to our aid. First, we appeal to the Ghana Education Service to resource and to equip the school’s science laboratory to serve as a Science Resource Centre for SHS students living at Dansoman and its environs. Secondly, we appeal to the government specifically the GETFUND to provide the school with a bus to ease our movements. Thirdly, we appeal to parents and guardians to pay school fees promptly and invest in their wards education.
Currently, various challenges bedevil the education system in Ghana which require urgent solution. For instance the problem of duration of SHS in Ghana that keeps changing from 3 years to 4 years and back to 3 years is a great worry for all. We humbly suggest that GES, Ministry of Education and all stakeholders should come together to draw a national education policy that will be impervious to political manipulation.
Mr. Chairman, although private second cycle schools play tremendous role in the provision of quality education to many Ghanaian children, government does not provide any assistance to the private Senior High Schools.We therefore implore government to consider the following suggestions as means of motivating private schools to do more for Ghanaian children.
1. Government should allocate a portion of the GETFUND to assist private second cycle school.
2. Students of private senior High Schools should be given the opportunity to benefit from Ghana Cocoa Board scholarship and other government scholarships.
3. Private school teachers should be included in the national teachers’ awards scheme.
Often, many people hold the belief that public secondary schools are the best. On the contrary, His Majesty Academy has over the years produced excellent SSSCE and WASSCE results just like that of public secondary schools and even better results than some of the public SHS.
Mr. Chairman, we at His Majesty would like to throw a challenge to Ghana Education Service to give us 200 BECE graduates willing to attend SHS. We want 100 students with good BECE results and 100 students with no-too-good results and give the same quota to a first choice public secondary. We can confidently say that after 3years of SHS training we are highly optimistic that our results will be the best.
FUTURE PLANS
The school has plans to develop and to transform our current hostel into a huge boarding facilityand establish modern e-learning classrooms for the school by March 2013.
Mr. Chairman, invited guests, ladies and gentlemen, let me also take this opportunity to express our gratitude to WAEC for the amendment of the criteria for the recognition and the granting of WASSCE May/June centrenumbers for private schools.
Also, I would like to salute the National President of CHOPSSRev. Nana KatuObedum V for his effectiverole.
At this juncture, I earnestly request all private secondary schools to join CHOPSS as members.
I cannot end my address without acknowledging some personalities who have contributed immensely to the success of the school. They are Mr.EmmanuelAllotey,Mr. Lewis Omudie,Mr. J.J Asare,Mr.FelixAkuffoBaddo,Rev. Nana KatuOboedumV,Mr. Johnson Omudie,Mr. Emmanuel Akoni just to mention a few.
I must express my thanks to all who have made this success possible – namely the Management, Staff, and the Friends of the school. I would ask all students and parents to join me in showing our appreciation in the traditional manner with a round of applause.
Ladies and Gentlemen, in conclusion, I would like to seize this opportunity to congratulate all prize winners today for their splendid performance. It is, indeed, a moment of joy to be recognised for one’s contribution to the development of the School. I urge all non-prize winners to also work harder and emulate the feat of award winners and help uplift the image of the School.
I am honoured to have been able to celebrate this academic year with you. I bid farewell to those who are leaving us and wish them the very best as they make their way in the world.
To conclude my message I pray that the Almighty will touch the hearts of all Ghanaians to love peace and eschew violence before, during and after the elections 2012.
And, finally, I thank you for your kindness in listening to me this morning.
I wish you all the best and God’s blessings for successful years ahead.
LONG LIVE HIS MAJESTY, LONG LIVE GHANA
Thank you.
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