TARSCO Past Students Association (TARPSA) is to construct a GH¢6.5 million multi-purpose dining hall for their alma mater, Tarkwa Senior High School, in the Tarkwa- Nsuaem Municipality of the Western Region.
The project, unveiled at the 60th celebration of TARSCO on Saturday, is estimated to be completed in four years.
The project, with dining hall seating capacity for about 2,000 students, comprise a state- of -the -art kitchen with a food lift, spacious traditional kitchen fitted with modern equipment and accessories.
Others include a bakery, pantry dish wash area, a kitchen storage room, offices for bursar and matron.
The project comes aboard as the present dining hall at TARSCO, built in the 1961, is as old as the school, the project initiators noted.
At the peak of as 6th form in the 1970s, TARSCO had about 700 students. Today, the population at the school is about 2,000, using the same dining hall. Due to lack of space in the dining hall, students eat in turns.
Joining other dignitaries to unveil the project, National President, TARSPA, Mrs Hannah Owusu-Koranteng, noted the struggles of past students, who had no beds nor good potable, and so fetched water from Bediabewo, a nearby stream.
She said, despite the toils, TARSCO pioneers took their destiny into their own hands to drive their own future, and that today, they were contributing to the national development.
Mrs Owusu-Koranteng said, those alive to celebrate the 60 anniversary should count themselves lucky to share in the glory of a school that had risen from humble beginning in September, 1961, to be counted among the prestigious schools in Ghana.
The story of TARSCO, she reminisced, was woven in a rich history of dedication and hard work to surmount difficulties of depravation, grounded in the will of the founders to build a school of excellence.
This, TARSPA President argued, offered students of different background to seize the opportunities granted them to contribute to education and national development.
“TARSCO from the beginning, has contributed to the human capital of the this country. We are grateful to TARSCO for the knowledge and moral development. The pioneers lived by the motto ‘Carpe Diem’-seize the opportunity- and, so, we are embarking on this enviable project to give back to our Alma Mater. God bless Mother TARSCO.”
Gyaasehene of Apinto Division, Nana Dr Adarkwa Bediako 111, believed that clinching the diadem at the quiz competition would brand TARSCO as ‘new force’ in Ghana’s quest for excellence in educational space.
On behalf of Apinto, Nana Bediako donated GH¢5, 000 towards the project.
Member of Parliament for Tarkwa Nsuaem, George Mireku Duker, donated GH¢ 20,000 towards the project.