The Vice-Chancellor of Sunyani Technical University (STU), Ing. Prof. Kwadwo Adinkrah-Appiah, says education should not be seen as only an act of pouring knowledge into one's head, either consciously or unconsciously.

He wants it to be considered a conscious effort made to make an individual's life better.

He made the remarks during an address at a durbar of chiefs and people of Suma to climax the 40th anniversary of Sumaman Senior High School at Suma Ahenkro in the Jaman North District of the Bono region.

“An excellent education means a community willing to make education a top priority. An excellent education comes from well-trained faculty, cutting-edge resources, and an ideal learning environment”, he noted.

He further noted that education is the most important tool for promoting equity in development, adding that this explains why successive governments continue to promote equal opportunities through the provision of universal access to education to all qualified persons.

He said the Free SHS policy has further heightened the nation's resolve to provide unrestricted access to secondary school education, free of any form of discrimination, as prescribed by the 1992 Constitution.

“Equal Opportunities at school is all about ensuring that all children and adults have parity of opportunity in terms of access and outcome throughout all aspects of school life and that their life chances for the present and future are not impeded or distorted by anything that happens during their participation in national life.”

Sumaman SHS was established as a Community Day Secondary School by the then Omanhene and elders of the Suma Traditional Area in September 1981.

It was partially absorbed into the public stream three years later and fully absorbed in September 1989.

Though the school has a serious infrastructural deficit, it has over the years trained several thousands of people in various fields of human endeavor who are contributing to the growth of society. One of them is the VC of STU, Prof. Adinkrah-Appiah.

“Standing before you today is I, an old student of this great school, who is a Professional Civil Engineer and an accomplished scholar and educationist, who cannot tell his story without the mention of Sumaman SHS, which contributed immensely to my academic prowess.”

He urged the students to take their education seriously and justify the heavy investment being made in them to positively influence their communities.

Headmaster of the school, Michael Osei Banso, described the academic performance of the school in the past years as “very impressive.”

He was, however, not happy about the absence of a science laboratory and library as well as the congestion at the boys’ dormitory and called for support from the government, individuals, and organizations to address the challenges.

Alex Kwasi Awuah, the Managing Director of the ARB Apex Bank, a native of the area and an old student of Sumaman SHS, noted that the frontiers of development throughout the world have changed and therefore commended the government for focusing on STEM, which he described as “essential component of education.”

He presented a cheque for 5,000 cedis to the school, on behalf of ARB Apex Bank, and also made a personal donation of 2,000 cedis.

There were other various donations towards the construction of an ultra-modern science laboratory for the school.

Awards were given to deserving staff and former staff of the school.

Bono Regional Minister, Justina Owusu-Banahene, Bono Regional Director of the Ghana Education Service, Mrs. Ivy Asantewaa Owusu, and STU Registrar, Samuel Ankama Obour, were among the several dignitaries who graced the occasion.