VR: Tafi Atome DA JHS marks maiden edition of Speech and Prize Giving Day

The maiden edition of the Tafi Atome DA JHS came to a climax at the school’s premises on Friday, July 8, 2022.

The two days event covered activities including clean-up exercises in the town, sports and games, poetry recitals, speeches, debate and quiz competitions, and exhibitions of students’ artworks.

The headteacher of the school, Mr. Edwin Kodjo Ashong in his welcome address thanked all for joining the occasion. He praised the teachers for their efforts in both curricular and co-curricular activities.

According to him, the school was able to rise from 0% to 40% when he became the headteacher. Mr Edwin enumerated some of the success chalked by the school in academics including producing the overall best student in the Tafi Circuit in the 2021 BECE results. He added that the school had the best under 15 boys football team, the best under 15 boys handball team, the best under 15 girls football team, and the best under 15 girls handball team in the just-ended inter-schools sports and games festival.

Mr Edwin lamented about how some of the parents are showing a lukewarm attitude in taking the education of their wards seriously. He assured that he and his staff will always put in their efforts to reach the 80% target set for the next BECE results and gradually meet 100% in the coming years.

The chairperson of the occasion, Madam Juliana Asumah, a headmistress who is also an old student of the school in her closing remarks, showed her gratitude to the teachers, PTA, SMC, and all the organizers of the event and hopes it continues. She believed that such occasions in our schools shall enlighten society on the need to be educated.

The educationists call on both teachers and students to brighten the corner where they are. She also cautioned the pupils to be mindful of the adolescent stage and overcome issues that will delay their education and sometimes become dropouts.

The Chief of Tafi Atome, Togbe Debrah V commended teachers for putting up their best to lift the image of the school and the community higher. He was excited about the current performances in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE). He established that the community shall lend its full support to the school in all aspects of education. He, therefore, call on the government to adhere to the demands of teachers so that classes shall begin as soon as possible.

Togbe Debrah V also entreated parents and guardians to support the teachers in everything possible in the upbringing of their wards in school,  by at least paying visits to the school during contact hours to check up on their ward’s performance.

The guest speaker for the occasion, Mr Jasbert Banner, an educationist was very emphatic on the welfare of the pupils. He urged parents and guardians to be active participators in the provisions of the basic educational needs of their wards. He added that parents should not always depend on the government for such needs.

He also entrusts the academic outcomes in the hands of the teachers and hope that the teachers shall be back to class with full force and enthusiasm towards achieving academic excellence.

Mr. Banner ended his speech by calling on the student body not to relent in their studies as teachers are on strike. He empowered them to make good use of the strike period and be serious with their studies and also support their parents and guardians to generate income for their upbringing.

The teachers of Tafi Atome DA JHS believe that the occasion is a light to the world. In an exclusive interview with the organizer of the event and Patron of the School Debating and Quiz  Club, Mr Christopher Vuvor after the event, he said,

The just-ended speech and prize-giving day which has never happened before remains in the history book of Tafi Atome D/A JHS and has enlightened students to put more effort into their academic work for a brighter future.

Tafi Atome DA JHS was established in the year 1965 and has produced great men and women in the diaspora.

The theme for the event was, Education; a tool for social change in the world.