The State School for the Deaf at Adjei Kojo, near Tema, was on Thursday re-named Dr Seth Tetteh Ocloo School for the Deaf, in honour of its founder.
The school, which was established in 1966 by Dr Ocloo, is one of the special public schools in the country to educate students with hearing impairment.
Dr Ocloo, who was born in 1932, lost his hearing in 1952 when he contracted cerebro spinal meningitis.
Despite his hearing challenge, Dr Ocloo continued his education and became the first hearing-impaired person in Africa to complete his Bachelor Degree programme in 1964.
Dr Ocloo, who is also the first hearing-impaired Ghanaian to obtain a Doctorate in Philosophy (Ph. D), is also the Founder of the Ghana National Association of the Deaf (GNAD).
Miss Barbara Ennin, Headmistress of the School, recounted that the school which was then known as Osu Deaf Mission Centre, was taken over by government in 1969, and was re-named State School for the Deaf.
Miss Ennin added that the school moved from different locations since its establishment, before settling at its current location at Adjei Kojo in the Tema Metropolis.
She added that the school holds the philosophy that, with the appropriate level of technological teaching and family support, hearing impaired students would be equipped to follow a full secondary curriculum and ultimately become confident and independent adults.
On the achievements of the school, she indicated that Dr Seth Ocloo State School for the Deaf recorded a 100 per cent pass in the 2012 and 2013 Basic Education Certificate Examinations (BECE), among other laurels in extra curriculum activities.
The school’s challenges include uncompleted boys dormitory which started in 1999, the payment of transport fares by parents to fuel government vehicles to convey the children to school, and many others.
Dr Ocloo thanked the GNAD and the Ministry of Education for initiating the re-naming of the school, and accepting the suggestion respectively.
He appealed to the Tema Development Corporation (TDC) to issue him with a permit for his property at Adjei Kojo to enable him get closer to the school, as well as to be accessible to the larger hearing-impaired community.
The GNAD presented a citation to Dr Ocloo to appreciate and recognize his contributions to their education and well-being.
Source: GNA