Make schools sanctuaries of hope - Educationist
A senior lecturer at the University of Education, Winneba, has challenged school authorities to endeavor to make their schools sanctuaries of hope for learners who are increasingly having less contact times with parents and guardians.
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Dr. Samuel K. Hayford said achieving academic excellence should not be the only focus of schools, they should also lay emphasis on children’s social, moral, environmental awareness and citizenship development as many parents hardly get time to be with their children.
“Such children see the school as a sanctuary of hope. And if the school fails to provide that sanctuary, then the child has no option but turn to the wilderness with no one to guide and nurture him/her,” he said.
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Dr. Samuel Hayford made the observation while speaking as the Guest of Honour at the launch of the 35th anniversary celebrations of the Ave Maria School in Accra on Friday. It is being observed under the theme: Celebrating our past, charting our bright future.
He said one way teachers can build their schools into sanctuaries of hope would be to create parents’ support groups to assist parents, some of who are fast losing their hold on their children.
“Whenever possible invite such parents to school and have one-on-one discussion with them about their children. Please do not wait for PTA sessions. Such omnibus gatherings do not offer parents and teachers unique time to discuss the child. Let the parents feel you treasure the child, and they in turn will respect you,” he counseled.
Empty stomachs
Dr. Hayford, a Special Education specialist, also tasked teachers to spend a little time each morning to examine pupils physically just before teaching begins and in keeping with UNICEF’s template for defining quality education delivery, saying a number of children attend school without taking breakfast, a situation he explained could undermine learning.
“First, the school should always ensure that the learners are healthy, well-nourished and ready to participate in learning. Make it a rule for teachers to examine each child every morning before they start the day’s activities. Inquire whether the children had breakfast before coming to school. If not, the school should make provision and task parents to pay for it. Remember soldiers do not march on empty stomach.”
Ayekoo! Ave Maria School
Dr. Hayford congratulated the proprietor, management and staff of the Ave Maria School, affectionately tagged “the Citadel of Academic Excellence” and constantly among Accra’s best 10 performing basic schools, for maintaining its academic discipline over the years as well as its good record in providing excellent educational and social facilities, sanitation and safe environment.
He said studies the world over have shown that teachers and pupils in well-equipped schools perform better than those in ill-equipped and unattractive facilities and invited the Ghana Education Service in its struggles to shrug off Ghana’s unenviable tag of being the world’s leader in teacher absenteeism, to learn from the Ave Maria School.
Dr. Hayford however, said his joy in the school would be complete when it takes the lead to embrace inclusive education and enroll children with special needs, some of who are within the catchment area and whose access to education is a constitutional right. They must therefore be assisted to integrate functionally in the society, he said, stressing also that there is nobody useless that God ever created.
Anniversary activities
Activities lined up to mark the 35th anniversary include a float on June 30; family day funfair on July 1; an invitational football gala on July 14; 17th graduation speech and prize-giving day on July 29; a donation to an orphanage/leprosarium on September 15; unveiling of projects, dinner dance and awards night on September 30; and a thanksgiving service to climax it all on October 8, at the St Margaret Mary Parish Hall, Dansoman.
History of school
The Headmistress of the Ave Maria School, Mrs Florence Agordjor, said the school started in September 1982 by the late Mrs Mary Ama Kyem Antwi, a trained teacher from the Holy Child College who retired voluntarily as an Assistant Director of Education in charge of private schools.
She said Mrs Antwi started by trying to cater for children whose parents had no house helps and initially started with three nursery pupils in her garage at the South Odorkor Estates, from which same premises the KG and primary initially began.
“Meanwhile land for the primary school was acquired and the building started. After the ground floor of the primary school was completed, the KG and Stage One classes were transferred there. Thereafter, every year, one more class was added to the school,” she said, until May 28, 1995 when Mrs Antwi passed away. The school population then (up to Stage Five), was 480 pupils and 14 teachers.
“Through the unending efforts of the managing proprietor, Mr. Sarfo Antwi, the PTA, the various heads, teaching and non-teaching staff, the dream of our mother and founder, Mrs Mary Antwi is not lost. Now the number of pupils in the nursery, primary and JHS is about a thousand. Also, the school has all the facilities needed to groom children into well-developed individuals both academically and socially.”