Give SHSs autonomy to develop – Prof. Aryeetey urges govt

Speaking at the 96th Founders’ Day of Achimota School in Accra last Saturday, Prof.

Aryeetey, said Achimota School, for instance, had the potential to mobilise sufficient resources from parents and the private sector to help develop the school when given the autonomy to do so.

Aryeetey, himself an old student of Achimota School, was of the view that allowing schools, especially those regarded as top schools, to be independent or granting them some form of autonomy would not lead to elitism.

For instance, he said, Achimota School was a model educational institution set up by the colonial government in 1927 with a governing council that was independent and autonomous, with a mandate to develop generations of leaders in all spheres.

“We recognise that Achimota School needs to be free to mobilise resources that are required for it to become effective in transforming lives and empowering generations,” he stressed.

The Headmaster of Achimota School, Ebenezer Graham-Acquah, said the school had, throughout its 96 years of existence, produced men and women who were leaders in various fields and had contributed positively to national development.

Another big challenge, he said, was the encroachment on its lands, adding that more than 100 acres of the school land had been encroached upon by people.