The government has the vision of turning Saint Francis Girls Senior High School in Jirapa into a centre of excellence for the study of mathematics and science, Vice President John Dramani Mahama has said.    

He said the reason was to encourage more girls to study mathematics and science and specialize in those subjects.  

Vice President Mahama said this at the 50th anniversary of St. Francis of Assisi Senior High School that was on the theme: "50th years of quality Catholic Education - The way forward: Reinforcement of the girl-child education".     

Vice President Mahama appealed to past students of the school to set up an endowment fund to cater for needy but brilliant girls and also for girls who decide to study science subjects.    

He said the old girls should encourage many of the past students to come back to serve the school at least for a reasonable period, as a way of giving back to the school for making them what they are.    

Vice President Mahama said the occasion marked five decades of the Catholic Church’s empowerment of the human resources of the Upper West Region, and its role in granting the girl-child formal education in an otherwise culturally discriminatory environment against women.   

He said the Saint Francis Girls Senior High School had infused academic pursuance with spirituality, which in no doubt had succeeded in turning out capable, disciplined and responsible citizens.   

"It is therefore imperative that we acknowledge the enormous contributions of the Catholic Church in our national development, and work collectively to ensure the deepening and strengthening of the partnership between the state and the church in bringing holistic development to the people", Vice President Mahama said.    

He said the history of the nation could not be divorced from the overarching influence of the Catholic Church for which the country was perpetually grateful for its priceless interventions in education, health, agriculture and vocational training centres.

PF