The Member of Parliament for Shama and Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Emelia Arthur has pledged infrastructure upgrades and a new endowment fund for outstanding female educators at Holy Child College.
She said this at the 80th anniversary of Holy Child College of Education on April 25.
Speaking on behalf of the President of the Republic of Ghana and the people of the Shama Constituency, Madam Arthur declared that the College is “not just a school” but “a national asset”, one that has quietly shaped generations of women leaders for classrooms, communities, and the nation.
“Today, we do not simply mark time. We celebrate a legacy,” the Minister began. “Eight decades of shaping minds. Eight decades of forming character. Eight decades of building the backbone of this nation – the teacher.”
She paid tribute to the pioneering Religious Sisters and early educators whose sacrifice, she said, established not merely a college but a lasting culture of excellence, discipline, and service.
“That legacy must not only be preserved, it must be strengthened,” she added, citing a fundamental truth: No nation rises above the quality of its teachers.
Madam Arthur shared a personal reflection, noting that her own Class 5 teacher had expanded her sense of possibility. “I stand here as living proof,” she said. “That is the power you carry.”
Acknowledging that institutions like Holy Child are “not optional they are essential,” the Minister turned to practical commitments. Following her engagement with the Minister for Education, she announced the provision of a school bus and the construction of a perimeter wall.
“These are not luxuries. They are necessities for safety, access, and dignity,” she stressed.
In a major announcement, the Minister committed to establishing a permanent endowment fund: The Emelia Arthur Excellence & Empowerment Endowment Fund for Outstanding Female Educators.
The award will be granted annually to a graduating student who demonstrates excellence, leadership, character, and service — with a special focus on environmental sustainability.
“This is not just an award. It is an investment in the next generation of nation-builders,” she said. “Because Ghana has everything it needs to rise and education will lead that rise.”
Madam Arthur addressed three groups directly:
· To students: “Yours is not just a profession. It is a calling. Walk in discipline. Lead with integrity. Serve with purpose.”
· To alumni: “Continue to give back. Continue to mentor. Continue to lift this institution higher.”
· To leadership and staff: “Your standards will determine the future of this College. Continue to build, innovate, and inspire.”
The Minister drew a sharp contrast: nations that prioritise teachers rise; those that neglect them fall behind.
“Ghana must rise. And we will,” she declared. “We will invest. We will reform. We will support institutions like Holy Child that have proven, over decades, that excellence is a standard not an accident.”
But she insisted the work is a national responsibility, not government’s alone.
“So let this 80th anniversary be more than a celebration. Let it be a commitment to protect this legacy, to strengthen it, and to pass it on stronger than we found it. Because when we invest in teachers, we invest in Ghana.”
Minister Emilia Arthur concluded with a warm congratulations to Holy Child College of Education: “May your next 80 years shape an even stronger nation.”
By Ebenezer Atiemo
