St. John's School, more fondly known as "The Saint", is 70 years old. On Monday, July 17, 2023, "Old Saints", past students of St. John's School, started converging on the hallowed hills of the school to participate in a week-long array of activities to commemorate the occasion, which will be climaxed with a durbar on Friday.
Psalm 90:10 speaks of three scores and ten (70) years being the lifespan of man, and the Mishnah attributes that age to "strength" (Avot 5:32) as one who survives that age is described by the verse as "the strong".
EARLY STRUGGLES
Seventy years of existence is no mean achievement for any school and as such the theme chosen for the anniversary celebration is relevant. "Celebrating 70 years of Impactful Catholic Training of the Boy Child: The St. John's experience" is apt, considering the school's history and its modest achievements over the years as a Catholic institution.
St. John's School happens to be the very first Catholic secondary school established by the Society of African Missionaries (SMA) in the Western Region. The school was founded on January 29, 1952 with Rev. Father Beenker, SMA, as its first headmaster. The reverend's tenure was short-lived due to ill health and Rev. Fr. Buah took over from him when he passed away in Holland.
The school initially started at the St. Paul's Catholic Primary/Middle school at Anafo, Sekondi and later had to move to its present location at Bakaekyir, Sekondi, due to the inconvenience of sharing classrooms.
Its beginnings were not rosy. Amidst a host of problems, the school managed to present 11 students out of the 47 pioneer students for the School Certificate Examination (Ordinary Level) in 1955. One of those candidates happened to be the renowned communications expert, Prof. P.A.V. Ansah, who came up tops nationwide in the O'Level examination. Prof. later became the head of the School of Communication Studies, University of Ghana, Legon.
It is important to note that until 1955, the school was solely funded by the Catholic Church. Even after its takeover by the government of Ghana, the SMA society was highly involved in its development.
Following the exit of Rev. Fr. Buah, Bro. Rex Hennel succeeded him and upon his assumption of office, headmaster after more staff members were drawn from the Holy Cross congregation. This attracted a steady inflow of funds from America and also from the Archdiocese of Cape Coast, leading to a sustained transformation of the School.
HOLY CROSS
CONGREGATION
The first year of Bro. Hennel's tenure saw the completion of a library block, and science labs. Later, out of their own pockets, the Brothers built a dining hall, three staff bungalows, a Juniorate, two additional staff bungalows and a football field in 1962. Indeed, so amazing were the contributions of the Holy Cross confraternity that every single Old Saint in the period 1958 to 1980s idolised such personalities who did not only finance projects but also took time to interact with students and empathise with them.
One cannot fail to mention personalities like Brother Raymond, Bro Vincent, and Fr. Bob Gilmour; who made campus life very interesting and eventful. Indeed, St. John's School campus is not that much large and so can be covered within a space of 15 minutes by walking. Therefore without any activities, you do a little walking and the rest will be studying your books. To effectively kill boredom the Holy Cross Brothers engaged students in sports such as basketball, table tennis, volleyball and hiking, as well as music. Such was their commitment to the development of the school that they dedicated time and money to identifying and developing the skills of students and as well as providing the relevant infrastructure.
After the takeover of the school by the government in the early 70s, the influence and presence of the Holy Cross Brothers significantly decreased. The school for the first time had a government appointed lay headmaster. From 1974 - 1978, we had Mr. B.A.K. Griffin, followed by Mr. J.S. Honny (1979 - 1990). Mr. Honny was followed by Mr R.A. Sackey (1991-1997) and Mr K.A. Afful (1997 - 2001). Since then appointments to the position of headmaster have swung from laymen to Brothers of the Holy Cross. They have all contributed their quota to the development of the school by providing infrastructure, instilling discipline and maintaining academic standards.
PILLARS OF SUCCESS
The three main pillars of the school were academics, music and sports and the school never failed to excel in any of these disciplines. St. John's always excelled in the O'Level and A Level General Certificate Examinations. This attracted students from Achimota, St. Augustines and numerous other schools to pursue their A' Levels in the school. It's no wonder we have had products such as Professor Phillip Bondzie Simpson, a former Rector of GIMPA; a professor of law who established the law school at the University of Cape Coast; Hon. Kofi Adda, a politician, financial economist and management consultant; and David Ampofo, a renowned media consultant, just to mention a few of the countless.
Music also propelled the school onto unprecedented heights. The Matthew Chapter Five (MC5) was the first ever school band formed with very talented amateur musicians. Indeed, they never failed to mesmerize their audience. Band members of the group blazed a trail that was difficult to fill. However, subsequent band members also did their best. Today, the name Mathew Chapter 5 is synonymous with St. John's School (The Saint).
Sports was also a very important part of our co-curricular activities. The school did exceptionally well in football, volleyball, table tennis and basketball. After classes, most people will descend to the sports complex to play in any of these games and if you were chosen to represent the Saint, it was a privilege. We had a healthy rivalry with all the schools in the Western Region and beyond. We never failed to register our dexterity and superiority in those aforementioned sporting disciplines.
LEGACY OF OLD
STUDENTS
Standards have swung like a pendulum ever since, but I am proud to say in the trials and tribulations, academic standards have managed to stay pretty, with the Saint maintaining its position as a grade A school, and one of the best schools in the 'West'. It is said the best comes from the West and the Saint is one of the best.
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The alumni galvanized under the tenure of headmaster Anthony Jonathan Mensah undertook several key renovation projects. The school was given a new lease of life, the once derelict library received a new strength with students poring over books, working on assignments or conducting research on updated computers. The science block and laboratories underwent a major makeover, facilitating more practical and hands-on learning experiences for the students.
The school's environment has also been given a very smart look. The quadrangle is graced with an artificial turf, instantly transforming it into a vibrant and welcoming space for outdoor activities. The basketball court has also been upgraded into a topnotch facility. The field for football, a favourite pastime of the students, has been upgraded, providing a stage for the school's athletes and footballers to excel.
The school is going back to a sustained trajectory aimed at making it one of the most enviable campuses and one of excellence in the country.
MOTTO & SLOGAN
Indeed, the sudden surge of goodwill from Old Saints is unprecedented, and such is the relevance of our school motto: Viam Parantes, meaning preparing the way. The school has really prepared the way for Old Saints. St. John's school at 70 is stronger. We doff our hats to the 1990 year group, who will be hosting the anniversary and all who have passed through the school. To those at St. John's currently, we say there is no better time than now. "St. John's, the Best!".
[The writer is an Old Student of St John's]
