New science-focused, creative arts high schools to be completed by end of 2020 – Education Minister

The Minister for Education, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, has assured the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, that the nine model schools being constructed by his Government will be completed by the end of the year.

According to Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, the establishment of these new senior high schools comprises the construction of seven (7) new Senior High Schools and the upgrading of two (2) existing schools into model schools, making a total of nine (9) schools.

The Education Minister made this known on Saturday, September 26, 2020, when President Akufo-Addo visited the site of the construction of one of these schools at Awaso, in the Bibiani/Anhwiaso/Bekwai constituency of the Western North Region.

The seven new schools are located at Kwadaso, Dabaa, Awaso, Abomosu, Akrodie, Weija and Kpasenkpe. Seven (7) out of the nine (9) schools are proposed science focused schools, with the other two being the first ever Creative Arts School, Kwadaso, in Kumasi, and a Senior High Technical School at Dabaa, named after former President J. A. Kufour.

Matthew Opoku Prempeh told the President that the contracts for the construction of these schools were awarded in October 2019, and the sites were handed over to the contractors by the consultants a month later.

“This school (at Awaso) is being called a model school because that is how a school should look like, with the full complement of activities, from playing fields, to administrative buildings, to libraries, and it is happening under your watch,” the Minister told President Akufo-Addo.

He continued, “When you compare it (model schools) the E-block, the E-block has only twelve (12) classrooms, and this V-Block (in the model schools) have twenty-four classrooms, and there are room for expansions.”

Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh told the President that plans are in the pipeline for the construction of thirty-five (35) more of such model schools around the country.

Creative Arts School
The first ever Creative Arts School in Ghana, located at Kwadaso, shall equip students for the Arts, through powerful learning experiences, embrace and excel in the arts and academics, whilst working towards their visions of the future.

The Project has been designed to include the following 2-storey administration block; library block; auditorium / theatre (1,300 designed capacity); 4-storey 16-unit creative arts block with ancillary facilities; 4-storey 20-unit classroom block with 4 dedicated laboratory rooms; 3-storey dormitory block; 2-storey dormitory block; dining hall with kitchen; principal’s residence; 2 vice principals’ residence, 2 no. staff flats; sports area; maintenance shed; waste treatment/holding bay; access roads and paved walkways; and gate house.

Senior High & Technical School
This School, in honour of the former president of Ghana, J. A. Kufour, shall equip students for the Arts, Science and Technical disciplines through interactive experiences using state of the art methods.

The School shall strive to educate students through theoretical and practical training in technical disciplines, creative production and processes for technical education, and to provide a backbone for the industry under the One District One Factory (1D1F) programme.

To create an environment that supports the implementation of a rich, rigorous technical curriculum and encourage a culture of technical and entrepreneurial thinking, learning, creative production and achievement of excellence.