Education is panacea to rapid development – Torgbi Vedzesu

Divisional Chief of Aflao-Teshie in the Ketu South Municipality of the Volta region, Torgbi Vedzesu Nii Kpambi V, says, education is the surest way to the rapid socio-economic transformation of society.

He said nations that have advanced in technology and development across the world invested a large chunk of their resources into the education and training of their population and called on the government of Ghana to continue to invest more in the sector.

Torgbi Vedzesu said these during the 65th anniversary celebration and the speech and prize giving day of St. Paul’s Senior High School and Junior Seminary (SPACO) in Denu on Saturday.

Torgbi Vedzesu, an old student of SPACO who chaired the event on behalf of Torgbi Amenya Fiti V, Paramount Chief and President of the Aflao Traditional Council commended the founding fathers of SPACO for their vision, saying 65 years of existence and provision of quality second cycle education was worth celebrating.

He praised the current and past headmasters, teachers, administrative staff and other Stakeholders of the school for their dedication to the call to train and churn out useful citizens who have over the years contributed and continue to contribute meaningfully to nation building.

The divisional chief called on the students to mould their lives after the many prominent citizens who have passed through the gates of SPACO, using their examples to transform their own lives to become self reliant and agents of change and transformation after leaving school.

St. Paul’s Senior High School (SPACO), was the first and only Catholic second cycle institution established in the southern sector of the then Keta-Ho Diocese of the Volta Region in 1958 by Bishop Konings.

The school’s founding fathers were Rev. Fr. J. Caffrey, who was the first headmaster and Rev. Fr. Seemers, who was the co-administrator of the school.

SPACO was initially established as a boys-only secondary school at Three-Town, the meeting point of Denu, Hedzranawo and Adafienu towns.

For lack of enough land space for the expansion of the school, the authorities searched for a new site and found a suitable place at the school’s present location, Hatsukope in the Aflao Traditional Area, along the Denu-Ho road.

In the year 2000, the school was made a mixed school to promote girl child education in the Volta Region. After the first batch completed the school was turned again into a boys school and has till date remained a boys school.

The Chief of Hatsukope, Torgbui Passaku, and his elders generously donated land to the Catholic Church for the permanent siting and future expansion of the school.

In 1972, the government acquired additional land, bringing the land space of the school to 100 acres.

With an initial intake of 26 students, St. Paul’s now has a population of 1,145, made up of 848 boarders, 296 day students and a staff strength of 144, including teaching and non teaching.

The 65th anniversary was celebrated on the theme: “Improving access and quality senior high education; the role of stakeholders.”

By Leo Nelson