My first appearance at school

The day was Tuesday, the 18th day of August, 2015. I woke up from sleep on that fateful day, at about 5:30am. I had longed for that day to come with excitement – what am I going to do on that day? Who am I going to meet? Will I make new and interesting friends? All of these and many more ran through my mind. Then came my first day of appearing at school.

I left home in the company of my mother as early as 6:20 am. Soon, we arrived at the school – St. Anne R/C Pry/JHS, at about 7:55am. Even though schools were on vacation, Summer classes were going on. At long last, my long dream of going to school had come true. Our first port of call was at the Assistant headmaster’s office. Mr. Ernest was kind and calm. He gave us a warm and refreshing welcome to the school. From his warm reception, I had a feeling and the expectation that the school year will be an interesting and rewarding one.

The school atmosphere was generally calm and peaceful; enough to satisfy the UNDP’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 on quality education but, the environment was dirty and filthy, full of dust, pieces of paper littered all over the school compound, pure water sachet overtaking most parts of the school premises and used packets of ‘take away’ packs. It was an eye-sore, to say the least. I later learnt that the filth was gathered on the last day of the previous school year – third term; i.e. ‘Vacation day’. The school had organized a ‘send-off’ party for the JHS 3 out-going candidates; after a successful completion of junior high school. Even though some pupils had started picking up the rubbish to the refuse dump, I felt it was not right to have gathered and left them behind previously thus, negating the UNDP’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 3 & 6 i.e. Good Health and Well-being and Clean Water and Sanitation, respectively. That was a very bad impression the school created in people’s mind.

The Assistant head teacher, Mr. Ernest’s warm-reception and kind gesture, was over-shadowed by the filth that engulfed the school compound.

Mr. Ernest later gave my mother the admission form to fill. It wasn’t for free anyway, because my mother paid the sum of GH¢10.00 to the Assistant head teacher. After filling the form with the necessary information required, my mother later submitted it back to the head teacher, who requested for two-passport sized photographs of me to be attached to the form. My mother promised to bring them along with her, when next, she returned to the school to pay my school fees.

My mother was given the list of books and a copy of the school’s rules and regulations. At this time, the headmistress of the school, madam Mavis Ntiamoah had arrived. She gave me a warm embrace and a little tap on my nose. I felt glad. Could this be a sign of good things to happen to me in my new school? I thought to myself. Only time will tell.

Soon, it was time to go home. Mother promised to return to the school, next Monday, with the necessary school fees and books, part-payment including other requirement.

Mr. Ernest and Madam Mavis Ntiamoah bade us farewell, as we responded ‘bye-bye’ to them, in return.

Catégorie:

Éducation 

Organisation:

Clevenard

Écrit par:

Charles Ollivant Akpome

Emplacement:

Ghana