NAVASCO urged to uphold values of integrity, discipline, academic excellence

The Navrongo Senior High School (NAVASCO) in the Upper East Region last Saturday held its Annual Speech and Prize Giving Day with a call on the school to uphold the values of integrity, self-control, punctuality, respect for rules and authority, ad­herence to standards of behaviour.

The Upper East Regional Minister, Dr Hafiz Ibn Salih, an old student, said NAVASCO had remained a pacesetter in “shap­ing minds, modeling characters, transforming lives and producing leaders” whose contributions to the development of the country and the African continent cannot be over emphasised.

• Old students, teaching staff and current students

Speaking on the theme: ‘Disci­pline, a pre-requisite for transfor­mational education and leadership’ he pointed out that though many of the students were talented, “without discipline they could go nowhere, because success was the result of disciplined effort over time.”

“NAVASCO has a proud history of churning out leaders who have excelled within the public and private sectors of this country and beyond,” he added.

Global President and Sakpe Naa Alariba receiving chairs donated by the Old NAVASCAN Accra branch

Consequently, he paid a glowing tributes to the founding fathers of this great school for their foresight and maintaining the momentum and standards over the years, the novel and unique folio system of identification that identified every student who passed through the school with a unique number.

The regional minister who made donations to his alma mater, noted that he was thrilled about the theme because in his own journey as a student and in his professional life, he had come to realise that discipline was the foundation and hallmark upon which every great achievement was built.

The 1983 year group handing the mantle of sponsorship to 1984 year group for next year’s speech and prize giving day

Moreover, Dr Salih stressed that the government recognised that ed­ucation remained the pivot around which every facet of development evolved, and so it was against this backdrop that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, rolled out the Free Senior High School policy to ensure that no child was left behind without secondary education which has over the years increased access and schools enrolments.

Also addressing the gather­ing Haruna Iddrisu, the Member of Parliament for Tamale South Constituency and former Minority Leader in Parliament, also an old student of the school said he was grateful to NAVASCO without which perhaps he wouldn’t have come this far and therefore admon­ished the student to be disciplined to achieve good grades to make their dreams a reality.

He said that politics and partisan politics was not the only means to contribute to the development of the country for that matter student should look at other areas like ICT, medicine, engineering etc. and pursue those courses.

The MP made a donation and promised to sponsor the “Haruna Iddrisu Award for the Best General Arts WASSCE” student to com­mence next year.

The Headmistress, Mercy Babachuweh, added that academic performance of the school remark­ably improved over the years, and listed some of the challenges in the school as lack of fence wall, dilapi­dated bungalow, lack of classroom furniture and inadequacy of staff, especially the non-teaching staff.

The School Prefect, Joel Avoka, assured all that the students will remain disciplined and abide by the school regulations and ethics.

The President of the old students (NABIA), who is also the Paramount Chief of Sakpe, Naa Alabira Ibrahim, thanked the co-sponsors of the SPGD, the 1983 year group, for sponsoring a lot of prizes for students, teaching and non-teaching staff and reno­vating the masters mess.

 BY TIMES REPORTER