Systemic deterioration of the once great school of Mfantsipim; sub-excellent academic performance, decaying yet insufficient physical infrastructure and low morality; is serving a great motivation for old students.

Once the hallmark of secondary education in the country, ‘Kwabotwe’ is no longer in the league of schools of which impeccable academic results can be expected, and students must now go to the dining hall in shifts because the facility cannot accommodate the community of students enrolled presently.

For those who tasted the ‘good old days’ of high grade discipline, great academic rivalry and quality everything, the new order cannot be standards to be accepted for present generations of students being groomed into ‘lawyers, doctors, ministers of religion and politicians of the right sort’ as envisioned by J.P. Brown, a founding father of the great Mfantsipim School, or to realise the desire of raising up ‘a generation of men in Mfantsipim who will be bold enough to face the problems of their own continent practically and usefully’ as set out by Rev. W.T. Balmer, Principal.

And that desire to restore quality is what drove hundreds of old boys like Samuel Kortei Bocthway (MOBA ‘50); Squadron Leader Clend Sowu (MOBA ‘53); Kwesi Abeasi (MOBA’ 62); Gaddy Laryea (MOBA ‘70); Nortey Duah (MOBA ‘81) and Paul Tandoh (MOBA ‘97) among several old students to the National Theatre in Accra on July 2, for a rethink.Click this link to see photo gallery of the July 2 meeting.

New headmaster, Mr Koame Mieza Edjah, promised to lead a real renaisance particularly in the areas of discipline and academic pursuits, but said he needed the cooperation of all Old Boys.

Indeed the story of their old school, as narrated by Anis Haffar (MOBA ’66) and Kodwo Morgan (MOBA ‘77), was not one to inspire pride.
“The average number of students in the 1960s and 80s was between 600 and 800. The current population stands at 1,400. The staffing capacity in the 1960s and 70s was 40. In 2006, it stood at 80, with 70 resident and 10 non-residential staff members. The library we used in the 60s and 80s - which had a seating capacity of 80 to 100 - is still the same. Class sizes have increased but the furniture and the state of the physical state of the classrooms is appalling. It is certainly not a conducive learning environment.

They continued; “The days when we had classrooms for specific subjects such as Geography, History, and Mathematics are over. There is the need for a massive rehabilitation of the Science block, the Technical Drawing block, the Ceramics block, Staff room and bungalows.

“In the 1960s, there were 10 dormitories for 610 students. Currently, there are 12 for 1,400 students. In the 1960s there were 120 students per block. Today it is in excess of 200 per block. This brings undue pressure on the sanitary facilities. We stopped using the Assembly Hall for morning assembly in the mid-70s and today, the situation is still the same. The capacity of the hall has not changed since the 1960s. It is far too small to contain all students.

“Due to the increased numbers, students go to the Dining Hall in shifts. So the tradition of belonging to particular tables with table heads and table tails - where the ins and outs of table manners were absorbed - is no more. The current capacity of the dining hall is less than 1000 students, if they have to be squeezed in. The staff dining hall is an eyesore! The fans do not work and there are virtually no window blades. The pantry needs to be sanitized, overhauled, and upgraded. The science labs, especially the Junior Science Lab, is virtually a write off.”

The pair concluded that a major underlying factor for the deplorable state of affairs is inadequate financial and material support to the school, and while they acknowledge that government funding is inadequate, it is also not going to get any better.

Shoulders to the wheel

	A section of the meeting at the National Theatre

It is therefore time to offer a coordinated rescue of the Alma Mata, beyond the once-a-while complementary support from the Old Boys and groups.

The appeal received rapid response, with as much as GH¢60,000 raised in signed pledges. But the gathering reckoned the sum came nowhere near the amount of work needed to prosecute “The Mfantsipim Manifesto,” (A 10-Year Development Agenda) to raise the school to an unparalleled environment built for a holistic second-cycle education that will also achieve academic excellence and leadership qualities of discipline and visible Christian values.

The meeting therefore proposed four ways for Old Boys to join the crusade to rebrand Mfantsipim.

• A monthly standing order contributions within each person's ability;
  
  
• Various contributions according to the desires of each MOBA Year Group;
  
  
• Fund Raising Crusades, on a consistent, yearly basis and;
  
  
• The Get-Fund.

The process has just started and coordinators of the agenda to restore Mfantsipim to its glorious old days say they would require all hands on deck.

Please note the details below:

1. The “Mfantsipim Old Boys Association” account is at the ECOBANK, Accra, Telephone: (233) 21 681146/8. The Account No. is: 1101 332 561 019. Please keep and mail copies of all receipts to:

2. Address: The Secretariat, Mfantsipim Old Boys Association, c/o Methodist Hqtrs., P.O. Box GP 403, Accra. Ghana. West Africa.

3. The a/c is managed by the Chartered Accountants: J. Quagraine & Co., Accra. Tels: (233) 244 047 517; 233 244 150 105

4. For more info please do not hesitate to contact: Frank Tackie, (233) 244 354 649; Samuel Ato Abban (MOBA Secretariat) (233) 244 276 552; Kodwo Morgan, (233) 273 574 444; Anis Haffar (233) 244 322 233.



Author: Isaac Yeboah