By Benjamin Makafui Attipoe, Agbogbla
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the John D.K. Dorgbetor Memorial Foundation, Mr, Benjamin Dorgbetor, has expressed great concern at the abysmal performance of pupils of the Agbogbla D.A. Basic School at the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) level.
According to him, it is very worrying and discouraging that in spite of the huge investment the Foundation has been making in the educational space of the community over the years, the academic performance of the pupils keep declining.
Mr. Dorgbetor was speaking at this year’s pupil annual awards ceremony of the school at Agbogbla in the South Tongu District of the Volta Region.
The awards event was instituted in 2018 in memory of the late John D.K. Dorgbetor, a retired educationist and a lover of education from the Agbogbla community who did not only prioritize and support the education of his children but also extended such a humanitarian and philanthropic gesture to other several pupils, students and children from the community in addition to the adoption of the basic school in the community.
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The Dorgbetor family through the Memorial Foundation has since been very supportive to the school and the pupils. The Foundation has so far supported the school with some sixty-two (62) mono desks for the pupils, a computer laboratory, marker boards and pens in addition to the institution of the annual performance awards for the pupils from the Kindergarten (KG) level to the JHS stage to motivate the learners. In the 2023 awards ceremony, a number of teachers were also honoured with award items such as pressing irons, standing fans and smart television sets for their contribution to the development of quality education in the school and community.
This year’s awards saw some forty-three (43) pupils, that is the first three pupils from KG to JHS3 receiving prizes for their outstanding academic performance in the year 2023. The awardees, most of whom were girls, included three (3) outgone 2023 BECE candidates who are now first year students at the secondary school level.
The award winners received school bags, Oxford English dictionaries, some readers, assorted stationary items as well as writing materials such as pens and pencils as well as exercise and note books amongst others.
Speaking at the event, Mr. Benjamin Dorgbetor regretted that in spite of these investments in the educational lives of the school children and the school, performance of the pupils at the BECE level keeps declining from 65 percent in 2019 to 42.8 percent in 2021 and further to 12 percent in 2022. He therefore stressed the need for an urgent and crucial meeting of stakeholders of education in the community to address what he described as the current educational crisis facing the school and the community.
The CEO who was emotional while delivering his address, described the development as very disturbing and discouraging, hoping that something can be done about the situation so that the Foundation is not compelled to hold back its support to the school and the pupils in the coming years.
Mr. Dorgbetor used the occasion to renew his appeal to the parents, teachers, community leaders and the pupils to effectively collaborate with one another to ensure a paradigm shift in the situation. He particularly charged the pupils to study hard in order to achieve their goals in life.
The Deputy Director in-charge of Administration and Finance (A&F) at the South Tongu District Directorate of Education, Mr. Edward Wilberforce Gbetodeme represented the District Director of Education (DDE), Ms. Celestine Esi Korsi Agordo at the event. He commended the Dorgbetor Foundation for the initiative and their contribution to the development and promotion of education in the community. According to him, the gesture is not only remarkable but also worthy of emulation by all and sundry.
Mr. Gbetodeme added his voice to calls to all stakeholders of education in the community particularly the parents to heavily invest in the education of their wards. He also called on the teachers to remain committed to their roles and responsibilities towards their wards. He also called for discipline among the pupils, reminding them that, that is the only way they can make progress in the attainment of their vision and goals.
In the Headteacher’s speech and welcome address by the Headteacher of the Agbogla E.P. Primary School and KG, Mr. Morkporkpor Kwami Klu noted that the immense contribution of the Dorgbetor Foundation to the development of the school and pupils cannot be over-emphasized, adding that the gesture has become a motivating factor for both staff and pupils. He commended the Foundation for the gesture and gave the assurance that their investment would not be in vain.
Mr. Klu expressed concern about the deplorable state of the entire JHS classroom block which also houses the Headteacher’s office and the Staff Common Room. According to him, the classroom structure has not only become a death trap but also badly leaks during rainfall periods and produces excessive heat during the hot seasons.
He used the occasion to appeal to the Dorgbetor Memorial Foundation, NGOs, public spirited individuals and organizations as well as all well-meaning Ghanaians including corporate Ghana to come to the aid of the school.
The Assembly Member (AM) for the Agbogbla/Tosukpo Electoral Area, Hon. Michael Tettey renewed his appeal to the District Assembly (DA) and government for that matter to help address the acute infrastructural challenges facing the school.
An Opinion Leader, Mr. Anthony Kwadzo Ametorwodo who chaired the function, was full of praise for the Dorgbetor Memorial Foundation and appealed to other NGOs and individuals to partner the Foundation to do more for the pupils and the school.
As part of the function, there was an impressive cultural performance by the school’s cultural group. The event was heavily attended by many parents and guardians who were also appreciative of the gesture of the Dorgbetor Memorial Foundation which has championed quality educational development in the community for the past seven years and still counting.
