The Vice President and Flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has inaugurated a digital repository for Wesley Girls Senior High School, established in memory of his late mother, Hajia Mariama Bawumia, an alumna of the school in 1960.
The digital repository, furnished with modern technological equipment, is a system that has digitized records of the school, encompassing data of past and present students and staff. Utilizing a unique access code, former students, current students, and staff will have access to confidential personal information or general school data.
During the commissioning of the digital repository, Dr. Bawumia expressed gratitude for the initiative undertaken by the Wesley Girls High School 1960 year group, who visited him to offer condolences following the passing of his mother in 2021.
"I was deeply moved a few weeks after her demise to receive a delegation of Old Girls who called on me to console me over the painful loss. Among the delegation were some of my mother’s schoolmates, led by Mrs. Nancy Thompson (a distinguished past Headmistress of this esteemed institution) and Nana Kyeiwaa II," Dr. Bawumia stated.
He further explained, "On the 1st anniversary of her passing, I had the honor to be approached by the Old Girls’ Association on behalf of the school, to assist with the establishment of a digital repository for the school. For a school with a history of over 187 years, I considered this a highly significant project, and I was delighted to support it with a sum of GHS 300,000.00. This contribution was utilized to capture records of staff and students and convert them into digital content."
Dr. Bawumia expressed satisfaction at the inauguration and emphasized its considerable benefits to the school. "A digital repository of this nature will facilitate easy retrieval of vital school, staff, and student records," he remarked. "Given the expanding size of an institution like Wesley Girls’ High School, this repository will prove to be a valuable asset, ensuring students receive their transcripts promptly to meet tight deadlines for academic or professional applications."
"I am optimistic that in addition to academic and administrative records, the repository's capacity will be expanded to preserve historic documents, continuing to narrate the story of the great Wey Gey Hey. A narrative that remains unfinished and intricately linked to the history of the nation and the history of Methodism in Ghana."
The Vice President urged other educational institutions to follow Wesley Girls' example. He reiterated the government's commitment to advancing digital initiatives in schools to prepare young Ghanaians for the 4th Industrial Revolution, emphasizing that providing free Wi-Fi to schools and the forthcoming distribution of laptops to each SHS student would significantly aid in this preparation.
In appreciation of his generosity to the school, the 1960-year group, on behalf of the Old Students Association, made a presentation to Dr. Bawumia.