The Afigya Kwabre South District Assembly in the Ashanti Region has commissioned the St. Francis Assisi Model School, a state-of-the-art Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) facility funded through local revenue generated from the district’s quarry industry.
The 16-unit classroom facility, located in Buoho, represents the third STEM-focused school established in the region.
Built to address growing student enrollment, the school operates as a dual-headship institution split into primary and Junior High School (JHS) divisions, each managed by its own headteacher.
The facility is equipped with ultramodern infrastructure, including a dedicated robotics laboratory, a computer lab, and a science laboratory.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony today, the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Afigya Kwabre South, Hon. Patricia Pearl Ankrah, highlighted the collaborative effort that brought the project to fruition and praised the sustainability model embedded in its development.
“It is not I alone that did it, but all the quarry operators in the area,” Mrs Ankrah stated, adding, “It started with funds from our quarry, a levy of GHS 5 per cubic meter collected from quarry companies. The fund was established by my predecessor, and I have continued and completed it.”
The project was originally initiated on 20 September 2020, by former DCE, Christian Adu-Poku under the Quarry Development Fund, in direct partnership with local quarry directors.
Construction concluded under Mrs Ankrah’s administration on 26 August 2026.
While initial plans slated the facility to function as a Day Senior High School, the DCE said, they restructured the project into a STEM model basic school to accommodate the high density of younger students in the district while providing early exposure to technical disciplines.
Mrs Ankrah expressed optimism that the facility would significantly boost academic outcomes in the district, aiming to elevate the facility to “Grade A” standing within the Kwabre area.
“Kwabre has brilliant students, especially in Buoho,” Mrs Ankrah noted, highlighting, “We are hoping that in the next four or five years, we will produce some of the best engineers from this STEM school.”
Following the official handover of the facility to the Ghana Education Service (GES), the DCE called on local stakeholders, including traditional leaders, Assembly Members, and community residents, to actively monitor the school and embed a strict culture of maintenance.
To secure long-term upkeep, classrooms within the complex have been named after local dignitaries and corporate contributors, including KK Quarry.
Under this arrangement, named sponsors have committed to funding future repairs and structural maintenance for their respective sections.
“If a fan develops a fault or the floor damages, these stakeholders are ready to assist with repairs,” Mrs Ankrah added, emphasising that the public-private partnership gives the institution an extraordinary foundation for long-term sustainability.
Meanwhile, former DCE Christian Adu-Poku, who was at the commissioning, praised the current DCE for continuing and completing legacy projects, urging district residents to support her in undertaking more initiatives to foster district development.
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