Pharmacy Professor urges stronger STEM focus at TOPP Basic’s 40th anniversary

A Professor of Pharmacy at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and an old student of TOPP Basic School, Prof. Vivian Boamah, has underscored the need for a more deliberate focus on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics at the basic level, stating that Ghana’s relevance in a fast-advancing world depends on strong foundations in innovation.

Speaking as Guest of Honour at the school’s 40th anniversary grand durbar, Prof. Boamah stressed that “the impact of academic excellence on national and global development cannot be overstated”, and urged education stakeholders to prioritise STEM if the country is to remain competitive.

The anniversary, held on the theme, “40 years of academic excellence: Its impact on national development,” brought together the management of Twifo Oil Palm Plantation Limited, district education officials, clergy, alumni and community members to mark four decades of the school’s contribution to national development.

Delivering her address, the Headmistress, Clara Fianko Nyanteh, revealed that the school has maintained a 100 per cent pass rate in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) over the years, with pupils gaining admission into Grade A and Grade B senior high schools across the country.

“The school has recorded a 100% pass rate in the BECE,” she said, adding that TOPP Basic School was ranked 18th nationally in 2006 by the Sankofa Foundation.

She further noted that the school is a seven-time Presidential Award winner in the BECE, representing the Central Region.

The award recipients are Miss Vivian Arhin Sam (1996), Miss Abena Mensima Darko Quarm (1998), Miss Esther Addo-Kumi (2008), Master Leslie Atta Akplah (2008), Miss Juanita Sackey (2012), Master Bright Asiedu-Acquah (2017) and Miss Ekua Nyarkowah Acquah (2020).

“It is worth noting that in 2008, both the male and female award winners emerged from our school, an unprecedented achievement since the inception of the awards in 1993,” she stated.

Tracing the history of the school, Madam Nyanteh said TOPP began in 1985 with an enrolment of 16 pupils and has since grown to 647 pupils, comprising 311 boys and 336 girls.

The school currently has 32 staff members, including 15 Ghana Education Service personnel and 17 company-employed staff.

She emphasised that discipline remains the backbone of the institution’s success. “Discipline enables one to achieve his or her dreams,” she said, noting that the school continues to collaborate with parents, the Ghana Education Service and the School Management Committee to uphold high standards.

The Headmistress also acknowledged the contributions of benefactors who have strengthened the school’s infrastructure and learning environment.

Lawyer George B. Asare Afriyie (1999) donated over 500 assorted storybooks and, together with Mr Ronald Akore (2000), presented jerseys and footballs to the school.

Mr Evans Kwarteng donated five desktop computers to the computer laboratory, while Dr Kofi Krobea Asante provided lunch for the 2021 BECE candidates during their examination week.

In September 2024, a group of nine old students, represented by Professor Vivian Boamah (1996) and Professor Forster Danso Ntow (1997), honoured their foundation teachers with a luncheon, plaques and cash donations.

Long service awards for teachers were sponsored by Lawyer George B. Asare Afriyie and Professor Forster Danso Ntow, while the St Augustine’s College Regimental Band, which performed at the durbar, was also sponsored by Lawyer George B. Asare Afriyie.

The Twifo Atti-Morkwa District Education Director and Guest Speaker, Augustina Attakora, commended the school’s corporate partners and urged pupils to protect and uphold the values of honesty and hard work that have defined the institution for 40 years.

As part of the celebration, speakers reiterated that the legacy of TOPP Basic School must not only be preserved but strengthened through renewed commitment to discipline, innovation and national service.