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A positive ‘change of attitude’ is beginning to creep into the moral fabric of old students’ associations of various senior high schools (SHS) in the Tamale Metropolis.
This is because, some of the associations, have started seeing the need to give back to their former schools in various ways as a contribution towards their academic development and progress as school.
This new development is promising as it appears to be a clear sign of departure from the past when old students shied away from benevolent activities in their former schools.
For the past six years or so, there appears to be a growing competition among old students of some SHSs particularly Ghana SHS also known as Ghanasco and Tamale SHS also known as Tamasco. The old students of these SHSs in Tamale have shown the way for many old students of the remaining ones to follow.
Some old students of the aforementioned schools have donated various items ranging from uniforms, books, learning materials and sports kits whereas others have also constructed new and refurbished old dormitories, donated vehicles and cash and among others.
For instance, the Ashanti Region branch of Old Ghana SHS Students Association (OGA) donated science books to the school’s library whereas the 1996 year group also donated 3 huge poly tanks and promised to add 3 more at a later date to help address the water challenges in the school.
The 1998 year group currently also has an ongoing project to replace windows of the headmistress office as well as staff common room with sliding windows in addition to air-conditioners.
The most recent is the refurbishment of the 57 year old Ghanasco Library by the 1997 year group to the tune of GH₵42,000.00. The group’s Spokesperson and Legislator for the Tamale North Constituency, Alhaji Alhassan Suhuyini also hinted of their plans to upgrade the library by adding ICT facilities by the end of 2018.
Talking about old boys, it is worth mentioning that Ghana’s immediate past President, Mr. John Dramani Mahama and his wife Mrs. Lordina Mahama both completed Ghanasco. In 2013, both of them in their personal capacities donated 100 laptops and 250 exercise books to the school.
Other prominent old students of Ghanasco include Mr. Alhassan Andani, Managing Director of Stanbic Bank Ghana, former Chief of Staff to President John Mahama, Mr. Prosper Douglas Bani, Football Legend Mr. Abedi Ayew Pele, Dr. Sulley Gariba, former Advisor and Head of Policy in the office of President Mahama, Mr. Moses Asaga, former Chief Executive of the National Petroleum Authority and Dr. Yakubu Alhassan, former Legislator for Mion Constituency.
In respect of Tamasco, which is considered the archrival of Ghanasco, old Tamascans have done a lot to uplift the image of this great school. As the first SHS to be established in Northern Ghana, it has paid its dues to mother Ghana.
Old students like the Chief Executive Officer of Engineers and Planners in 2016 donated GH₵200,000 towards the 65th anniversary celebration of the school. Prior to making that donation, he also started the construction of a 550-bed dormitory building for the school which he said “has made me who I am”.
Also in 2016, one of Ghana’s renowned economists and distinguished scholar, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, donated GH₵65,000.00 to his alma mater. In addition to this, he also donated a set of sports kits and an ambulance to the school.
Before Mr. Ibrahim Mahama and Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the 1990 year group of Tamasco led by Mr. Yahaya Zakaria Osman in 2015 also donated 20 desktop computers together with their accessories worth GH₵50,000.00 to the school. The 1980 year group led by Professor Mohammed Salifu also procured and installed lighting systems to the tune of GH₵170,000.00 to improve upon the security situation in the school.
Like Ghanasco, Tamasco has also produced many prominent individuals in all facades of our national life. They include the late President Hilla Limann, late Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama, Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas, UN Representative for West Africa and the Sahel, Mr. Alban Bagbin, Legislator for Nadowli-Kaleo Constituency and Dr. Rashid Isshaku, immediate past Governor of the Bank of Ghana and among others.
One thing is clear in the speeches of heads of the two SHSs whenever they receive support from old students. They usually would end their speeches with an appeal to the various year groups to remember their alma mater and support them in whatever capacity they can. Their appeals would often be punctuated with remarks that suggest that old students of their schools have neglected their alma mater except a few of them who would once a while come around with one form of support or the other.
In many respects, one can say that Tamasco and Ghanasco are lucky to get substantial support from their old students for the past few years. But for the rest of the other SHSs, it is as if they have no such thing as old students association. Hardly does one hear of any kind of support from their old students. The only one that immediately comes to mind is St. Charles Minor Seminary SHS which in April this year received hundreds of yards of uniform materials from the Regent of Dagbon, Kampakuya Naa Yakubu Abdulai Andani.
As an old student, he made the donation when a two-storey building dormitory of the school was gutted by fire. Besides the donation, he promised to mobilize support from the government and private sector towards the refurbishment of the dormitory building.
But when one does a comparison between SHSs in Northern Ghana and SHSs in Southern Ghana, you will realized that infrastructure wise, schools in the North are seriously lagging behind. The likes of Prempeh College, Opoku Ware SHS, Wesley Girls SHS, Yaa Asantewaa Girls SHS and Komfo Anokye SHS are a sight to behold when one enters their campuses.
They are far advanced in terms of infrastructural development when compared with even any of the Universities, Nurses and Midwives Training Colleges or Colleges of Education in any part of the North not to even talk of Tamasco, Ghanasco, Bolgatanga Girls SHS, Navrongo SHS, Nandom SHS or St. Francis of Assisi Girls SHS.
SHSs in the North have been poorly planned and most of them still make do with the old structures they started with since their first enrolment. Their campuses are poorly paved and the buildings are not even properly earmarked for easy identification or direction to first time visitors.
The lack of infrastructural development in SHSs in the North has been attributed to the lack of support from old students. The situation is however different in the Southern schools where old students contribute significantly towards the academic improvement and progression of their alma mater.
The beautiful natural environment one finds in Southern SHSs including the sufficient classrooms, dormitories, learning materials, recreational facilities and others contribute to the psychological and physical development of students. They learn with ease and even the dumbest student in any of such schools will pass with just a little effort unlike in the Northern SHSs students always have to make do with whatever is available.
Let all old students support the development of their alma mater. Because, unless and until old students of SHSs in the North genuinely support and contribute towards the development of their alma mater, I dare say that they will continue to remain the way they are: unconducive for learning.
Old students of SHSs must also hold heads of schools accountable for whatever support they give to their alma mater. There are many examples of headmasters and headmistresses misappropriating funds and other materials donated by old students to their alma mater. They must constantly monitor activities and developments in their alma mater and anything that is not right must be questioned.
Old students must also endeavor to create an up to date registers for their various year groups so that they can always keep in touch with one another and try to find out how everyone is doing, and perhaps support each other.
