INTERVIEW OF MR. M.N. ATTRAMS (ASST.
HEADMASTER) BY THE STOOL'S EDITORS ASST. SENIOR PREFECT II, KOFI
NTOW; CHAPLAIN PREFECT, ALEXANDER QUARSHIE; IN-COMING HEALTH PREFECT GEORGE
ABOSI; AND IN-COMING LIBRARY PREFECT, GERALD DOVE HENRY ON DECEMBER 10TH, 1985, 08:30 HRS.
THE STOOL (PREMPEH MAGAZINE): Good
Morning Sir. You have been in this school for quite a long time. May we
know how you came here, with what qualifications and the exact time span
of your stay?
MR. ATTRAMS: Good morning. I came
in 1961. I had applied to come when taking my final degree in English.
Rev. Lewis was then Headmaster. I was called for interview and finally
taken. One Prof. Walter was my referee. I took up the appointment on 1st
September 1961. That means I've been here for about 25 years. The only
break in my stay here was in 1968, I won an Australian to take a post-graduate
course at the University of Sidney. I spent only one year.
THE STOOL: With your unique experience,
could you tell us about the trend of discipline in this school over the
years?
MR. ATTRAMS: Discipline, as I came
to meet it, was very high. Well, I will say that from time to time, we
had problems and the standard began to decline.It actually started to decline
when our population started to swell up. When I came, the class size was
35, on the average. Then it increased to 37 then 38. Suddenly it shot up
to between 45 and 50 and even in some cases, 55. Discipline is closely
related to enrolment. When the resources of a school are overtaxed, problems
are bound to come. The classroom were originally meant for 25 students.
You will find that the new classroom block has bigger classrooms than the
old one. The furniture we used at that time was the steel type and their
sizes limited the number in each class. When the population started growing
up, however, we had to replace them with smaller types.
I was here when an extension in
the Dining Hall was made. At first the verandah was open but we had to
enclose it in order to accomodate more students conveniently. The Dining
and Assembly Hall can take only about 700, for instance, why take a 1000?
THE STOOL: So are you trying to
say that somehow the population of the school should be limited?
MR. ATTRAMS: It is very difficult
to set limits but I think the school founders did not expect more than
800. Conditions have changed, anyway. During Mr. Osae's time there was
a period when pressure was experienced and it was realised that we had
to go beyondnormal enrollment. At that time, he thought of building a junior
section of the school between Mr. Kyere's House and Adoato. Unfortunately,
this could not come on. Again during a later time, the school started laying
the foundation of a twelve-classroom complex between the Upper Six block
and Serwah House but that also had to be put off. That block was to enable
us to take some more day students. Well, it's the same everywhere today.
Part of Achimota School, for instance, used to be an old site of the University
og Ghana. When the University moved, the school annexed the place to enable
them accomodate a larger population. A similar project was intended for
this school. The army barracks was supposed to have moved from the present
position to Nyankyerenease, where a new complex was being built for them.
We might have also converted the
old place into a part of Prempeh just as Achimota did. Actually, the plan
for the school was supposed to be based on the plan of Achimota, with swimming
pools and girl's hostels.
People are trespassing on our land
these days, especially, at the Adoato side and efforts should be made to
stop this. part of the Neoplan land and the Goil filling Station near the
main gate, all belong to us. the teak trees grown around the school were
especially planted to mark our boundary. Old age and other physical activities
have caused some to be felled, giving room for people to trespass.
THE STOOL: Could you tell us something
about our academic performance over the years?
MR. ATTRAMS: The most accurate way
to get this is to check from the records. There has been a gradual up and
down trend--quite unstable. A sketch graph may look like this: In one of
those years, which I've forgotten, we reached our peak with 98 "ones"
out of about 100 candidates. We had 24 distinctions and no failures. Our
problem at that time was how to remain at the top.
The decline these days has to do
with enrolment. When classes get too large, academic standards are bound
to fall. Its easier to handle efficiently, a class of about 30 than 50.
THE STOOL: In your stay in this
school, you have had the chance to participate in previous Speech Days.
Was there any difference between the 36th Annual Speech Day and the previous
ones?
MR. ATTRAMS: There has been a lot
of speech days until we stopped for a while. To me it was an ordinary one
but what brought the difference was the long break. None of you in the
present generation has seen one before and so when this one came around
everything looked new. The Silver Jubilee Speech Day was the one which
was extraordinary. Former Headmasters like Arthur Clark and S.N Pearson
were invited from overseas. I don't know if any of them is dead yet.
THE STOOL: This reminds me, Sir,
the other time there was a question in one of the quiz competitions asking
who was the master who died and was burried behind Pearson House. Has any
such thing occurred on our land?
MR. ATTRAMS: I don't think anyone
has been burried here before. The only master I knew who died here in those
days was Mr. Anderson and even he was buried abroad. Quite a funny man
was he. He kept a cofin in his room as part of his furniture.
THE STOOL: Sir, could you tell us
about any changes you have observed in both the student body and the staff
that have been caused by the 36th Annual Speech day.
MR. ATTRAMS: The truth is that the
very thought of going to experience a speech day for the first time on
this land or after a long period of time got very excited and anxious.
Thsi motivated the students into the enthusiastic and unique cleaning and
painting. Honestly, i've never seen such a thing in my stay here before.
We succeeded in presenting a good school to the outside world. It was a
good thing and the credit goes to the whole school. I hope this patriotism
would be maintained.
I think Speech Days should be annual
but these days the expenses are what brings about the setbacks. We would
have run into a great debt if it were not for the PTA. It was very expensive.
Prizes, for example, cost a lot. In the past, no prize would have exceeded
5 cedis but today, to get a book at 200 cedis would be cheap.
THE STOOL: Do you think the Speech
Day generated some extra funds for the school?
MR ATTRAMS: It did not generate
any funds but it rather consumed. It might have even left us in debt.
THE STOOL: Sir, we would like to
know your views about the efficiency of the current Prefects body. Do you
think they stand up to the comparison with other administrations?
MR. ATTRAMS: The Prefects have been
doing their best. Sometimes they have not been very efficient. They have
not done too badly but there is a lot more they can do. Coming from crisis
and trying to restore discipline might take time. We need time to restore
our former dignities. Yhey've done well and I salute them. They should
back up any way.
THE STOOL: We have been informed,
Sir, that you will be leaving the school soon. On what date will you be
leaving and what school are you being transferred to?
MR.ATTRAMS: I'm leaving in January.
I was promoted and posted to Ghanatta secondary School, Dodowa and should
have taken up the appointment on July 1st last year but it was put off.
The Headmaster there was transferred but he protested so I did not move.
The Director of Education also died so proceedings had to be at a stand
still for some time. Now, everything is resolved and I was asked to move
last month. The Headquarters has given me up to next month to move to Dodowa.
This school has been my pet school.
I have really enjoyed being here. I could have left when I returned from
Australia but I chose to stay. I love the school and would have liked to
stay until my retirement. I've loved here very much. I'm going but will
still be here somehow.
THE STOOL: We thank you very much,
Sir, for sacrificing some of your time for us and for co-operating so much.
We wish you great success and the best in your next school and the new
duties you are going to assume as headmaster. God Bless You!
MR. ATTRAMS: I also thank you for
this honour done to me. Not all people are interviewed. I wish you all
all the best in the coming years.
*And so that brought us to the end
of our most moving interview. He shook hands with each of the four of us
and we parted.*
