St. Thomas Aquinas SHS Infrastructure Crisis: Urgent Appeals for Key Amenities Ahead of 75th Anniversary

St. Thomas Aquinas Senior High School (SHS), a historic Catholic boys’ school in Accra, Ghana, founded in 1952, is confronting a severe and persistent infrastructure deficit that directly hampers academic excellence and student welfare. During the school’s 2026 Speech and Prize-Giving Day, leadership issued a public appeal for urgent government and stakeholder intervention to secure vital facilities, including a multipurpose assembly hall, a fully equipped sickbay, adequate classroom furniture, and improved cooling systems. These appeals are strategically timed to galvanize support ahead of the institution’s 75th-anniversary celebrations in 2027.

Introduction: A Prestigious Institution in Distress

St. Thomas Aquinas Senior High School stands as one of Ghana’s premier second-cycle institutions, renowned for its academic rigor and disciplined environment. However, a growing chasm exists between its esteemed reputation and the deteriorating physical conditions its students and staff navigate daily. The school’s management, led by Rev. Fr Dr. George O. Appiah, has publicly articulated that the foundational infrastructure has not scaled with the expanding student population over seven decades. This gap constitutes a significant barrier to delivering a truly conducive learning environment, a cornerstone of the Ghana Educational Service’s objectives for quality secondary education.

Key Points: The Core Infrastructure Demands

The school’s appeal centers on several non-negotiable amenities critical for modern secondary education:

• Assembly Hall: The absence of a dedicated, befitting assembly hall forces major school gatherings—including religious services, award ceremonies, and assemblies—to be held in makeshift or open-air conditions, often challenged by weather.
• Sickbay: The lack of a fully functional and properly equipped school sickbay is a major health and safety concern, requiring urgent attention for student and staff medical emergencies.
• Classroom Infrastructure: This includes a severe shortage of desks and seating, leading to overcrowded classrooms, and an insufficient number of ceiling fans to combat Accra’s tropical heat, both of which directly impair concentration and teaching efficacy.
• Recreational Facilities: The school lacks a standard basketball court and other essential recreational amenities, which are vital for students’ physical health, social development, and balanced education.
• Boarding Facility Conversion: Management is advocating for the school’s conversion into a boarding facility to eliminate the burdensome and time-consuming commutes for many students, which negatively impact their rest, study time, and punctuality.

Background: The School’s History and Evolving Context

Founding and Legacy

Established in 1952 by the Catholic Church, St. Thomas Aquinas SHS was conceived to provide a high-quality, values-based education. For over 70 years, it has produced distinguished alumni across various fields, contributing significantly to Ghana’s human capital. The school’s Catholic ethos emphasizes holistic development—academic, spiritual, moral, and physical.

Ghana’s Secondary Education Landscape

The school’s challenges reflect broader systemic issues within Ghana’s public education infrastructure. Following the implementation of the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy in 2017, student enrollment across the nation surged. Many established schools, particularly in urban areas like Accra, have struggled with pressure on existing physical facilities, furniture, and teaching resources. The infrastructure deficit at St. Thomas Aquinas is a microcosm of this national challenge, where enrollment growth has outpaced capital investment in school infrastructure.

Analysis: Impact of the Infrastructure Deficit

Academic Performance and Learning Environment

Research consistently links physical school conditions to educational outcomes. Overcrowded classrooms, high temperatures, and inadequate furniture create a stressful environment that diminishes cognitive function, increases fatigue, and lowers student engagement. Teachers also struggle to manage large, uncomfortable classes, reducing instructional effectiveness. The absence of a proper assembly hall also means the school cannot holistically conduct large-scale spiritual, cultural, or motivational programs that are part of its holistic education mission.

Student Health, Safety, and Welfare

The lack of a sickbay is a critical vulnerability. In the event of medical emergencies—from minor injuries to sudden illnesses—the school is dependent on external clinics or hospitals, which can mean dangerous delays. This is a direct risk to student welfare and a concern for parents. Furthermore, the daily commute for non-boarding students in Accra is notorious for its length and stress. Students reporting early and returning late are often exhausted, with diminished time for homework, revision, and adequate rest, directly impacting their academic performance and overall well-being.

The Boarding School Debate: Pros and Cons

The push for boarding status is complex. Potential Benefits: It would maximize study time, ensure punctuality, foster greater student camaraderie and discipline, and relieve commuting pressures. Considerations and Challenges: Converting a day school to boarding requires massive investment in dormitories, dining halls, sanitation facilities, and 24/7 staffing (house masters/mistresses, nurses, security). It also raises questions about increased operational costs for families and the school’s capacity to manage residential life. This appeal highlights that for many students and parents, the current commute is so untenable that boarding, despite its costs, is seen as the lesser evil.

Practical Advice: Pathways to Resolution

Addressing such a significant infrastructure gap requires a multi-stakeholder, strategic approach:

For School Management and Alumni

• Develop a Phased, Costed Infrastructure Master Plan: Move beyond general appeals. Create a detailed, prioritized blueprint with clear budgets for each project (e.g., Phase 1: Sickbay & 20-classroom block; Phase 2: Assembly Hall; Phase 3: Boarding Conversion Feasibility Study). This is essential for engaging donors.
• Mobilize the Old Students’ Association (OTSA): Launch a targeted, transparent capital campaign. The 75th-anniversary milestone is a perfect catalyst. Structure giving tiers (e.g., “Founder’s Circle,” “Patron of the Sickbay”) with specific project recognition.
• Engage Corporate Ghana and Foundations: Approach companies with CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) budgets in education and health. Frame support as an investment in future human capital. The school’s brand and alumni network are strong selling points.

For Government and Educational Authorities

• Prioritize in Capital Projects: The Ministry of Education and Ghana Education Service must include St. Thomas Aquinas SHS in upcoming infrastructure projects, especially under initiatives like the “Education Sector Plan.”
• Explore Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs):strong> For major projects like an assembly hall or boarding facilities, the government could facilitate PPPs where a private entity funds construction in exchange for long-term management rights or naming rights.
• Review and Accelerate School Expansion Policies: The situation underscores the need for a national audit of schools experiencing similar pressure due to the Free SHS policy, with a dedicated fund for urgent infrastructure upgrades.