Joyce Bawah Mogtari, who serves as a senior legal expert and presidential aide, returned to the Jirapa campus of St Francis of Assisi Girls’ Senior High School on October 17. According to MyJoyOnline, she delivered the keynote for the institution’s 67th anniversary and the Franciscan Old Girls Association homecoming. Mogtari recounted how she initially attended the school to retake her O-Level exams after an earlier setback. She noted that her uncle, then a police representative in Wa, suggested the location because it was quiet. MyJoyOnline reported that her strong results in home economics and typing helped her secure a distinction and specific West African Examinations Council awards. She also conveyed President John Dramani Mahama’s message regarding the importance of investing in female education, citing Vice President Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang as proof that women can reach the highest offices in Ghana.
Headmistress Anastasia Kaarawo outlined the school’s expansion from twelve students in 1959 to a current enrollment of 1,341. MyJoyOnline stated that while the 2025 WASSCE pass rate reached 88%, rapid growth has strained facilities. Kaarawo explained that dormitories are overcrowded, with first-year students often lacking sufficient seating in classrooms. She identified gaps in toilet facilities, staff housing, and science equipment, along with teacher shortages in chemistry, physics, biology, and integrated science. The headmistress appealed to government and alumni for help completing a chapel project and providing logistical support.
Fati Bodua Seidu, former national head of the alumni association, emphasized that affection for the school must lead to practical action. She observed that old dormitories now hold nearly three times their original capacity, causing some students to sleep on floors. Seidu urged students to combine institutional investments with personal discipline, arguing that new buildings alone do not guarantee academic success. She encouraged the student body to view ambition and excellence as inherent qualities rather than exceptions.
Paramount Chief Naa Dinaa Donglabong Ganaa III, who chaired the event, challenged the alumni group to become an active development network. He suggested that the association should provide structured scholarships, internships, and mentorship rather than limiting its role to anniversary gatherings. The event concluded with awards for outstanding students and staff, sponsored by corporate partners including MyTURN Ltd and the Dr. Kenneth Aneweneh Foundation, which provided tablets and cash rewards.