Mfantsipim Alumni Call for Capping Student Numbers

The Mfantsipim Old Boys Association (MOBA), a group of former students of one of Ghana’s oldest and most prestigious schools, has expressed concern over the rising student population and its impact on the quality of education.

The aspirants, who are running for various positions in the MOBA national executive committee, said that the current student enrollment was putting pressure on the school’s resources, infrastructure, discipline, hygiene, security, and academic performance.

They urged the MOBA to empower the headmaster to collaborate with the Methodist Church, which owns the school, and the government, which is responsible for admissions, to review the admission policy and cap the student numbers.

They also called for more support and motivation for the teaching staff, who are faced with the challenge of delivering quality education to a large and diverse student body. The aspirants made these remarks at an engagement session on Wednesday (Oct 18, 2023), organized by the MOBA Election Hub, a platform for all old boys to interact with the candidates and learn about their manifestos.

The session was attended by four unopposed aspirants: David Abbey (Class of 1990) for Vice President; Dr John Manful (Class of 1977) for Decade Representative (40-49); James Dadson (Class of 81) for Decade Representative (40-49); and Daniel Andoh (Class of 1986) for Decade Representative (30-39).

The two-day engagement is scheduled for both opposed and unopposed candidates. Mfantsipim School, established in 1876, is one of the oldest and most reputable secondary schools in Ghana. It has produced many prominent alumni, including former presidents Kwame Nkrumah and John Atta Mills, Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka, and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

However, the school has been struggling with overcrowding and underfunding in recent years. According to the Ministry of Education statistics, there were 261,962 tertiary students in Ghana during the 2011/2012 school year, attending 142 institutions. This number increased to over 547 thousand students in 2020, indicating a growing demand for secondary education.

The MOBA aspirants said that they were committed to bringing development and progress to Mfantsipim and quality second cycle education in Ghana. They also pledged to promote the MOBA brand and foster unity among the old boys.

They expressed their hope that their vision and plans would be supported by the MOBA members and stakeholders. They said that they believed that Mfantsipim could overcome its challenges and maintain its excellence and legacy.

Source: Graphic Online