|
|
Reflections
TALES OUT OF SCHOOL: MY PREMPEH MEMORIES
By Tobias R. Klein, Berlin, Germany
posted: January 1, 2006
In 2003 I, a German national by birth, had the unique opportunity to attend Prempeh College as a foreign student.
The following lines are a condensed versions of my memories of this time.
Unfortunately it has not been possible to include all names and incidents
within the limited space of a couple of pages. Anybody who still remembers
me but does not find his name included into this recollections should therefore
not bear a grudge against me. I love you all, Amanfoo! This piece is dedicated to the
memory of Michael Owusu Sekyere (1985-2003).
"And be careful, he speaks Twi, so he will understand most of what you are talking in class…".
Tobias with other Prempeh students at the Inter-collegiate
sports at the Kumasi Sports Stadium
|
These were the final words of the Assistant Headmaster when he introduced me with to a flabbergasted class 2-Science-1 one Monday morning in early 2003.
The seniors appeared to be impressed. An "oboruni aberante" wearing green shirt and brown shorts should really able to speak Twi? Considering the circumstances there was
little time though to deal further with the unexpected visitor.
The class was anxiously awaiting a chemistry test and with all attention now drawn to that advancing menace.
Watching my classmates zealous attempts to solve the rather complicate questions, I took my blank exercise book too, but as Kwasi Broni came rather unprepared into this he soon found myself taking a trip down memory line. How did I come to this place? Years back I had lived in Ghana for an extended period, acquiring my knowledge of Twi still at an young age and now in 2003, I was due to experience Ghana education! Senior Sampson Boadu, a former student of the school, took me to the headmasters office and approached Mr. Owusu-Achiaw to grant admission to me for a limited time at his alma mater. Even though it was not possible immediately for me to stay on campus the daily twenty-five minutes morning walk from my base at Asuo Yeboah to the premises of school, proudly displaying Prempeh's colours on my uniform had already provided a small compensation for that experience.
Here past and present merged again. The test taken and all papers collected we were able to exchange greetings and get accustomed to each other. It was greeted with general surprise that an obroni should come to attend school in Ghana. I was nevertheless warmly welcomed and befriended some of my classmates, among them the late Michael Owusu-Sekyere, seniors Worae Yaw, Dennis Daliri and Charles Francis Kokor. Quickly I tried to adapt to the teaching methods of our various masters, among them the rather lenient Mr. Amponsah (Biology) or disciplinarians of the no nonsense type such as the math master Mr. Abaidoo. Occasionally we had extra classes on topics such as factorials and permutations with him as early as six o'clock. Our Physics master studied in my country and to the amusement of the class took great delight in conversing in German to his new student. We went to the lab for acoustic experiments and it was stimulating to discover the secrets of nature together with my Ghanaian classmates. Michael Owusu Sekyere, whom I worked with during this experiments, latest by that time became a close friend and companion. I remember vividly how we both pressed our ears against the test tube. For many times in we attempted to cause a resonance between our tuning fork an the air column filling the tube above the water level in vain. Subsequent days saw us always moving together and his untimely death in the early hours of May 1st 2003 was one of the most tragic incidents of my life. Damirifa due, Michael, I will always remember you!
Mrs. Adu-Gyimah, the Social Studies teacher, a vital woman who published her own textbook, engaged the class into lively discussions in which - this being my favourite subject - I eagerly participated. Her story how she brought a kitchen-machine into her mothers house in the village shall not forgotten so easily. Yet not only teachers, but also the library staff took interest in the broni newcomer. Whenever I appeared in the building to have a glance at some books or attending Computer classes I was well received: Being sufficiently acquainted with the PC and software to solve all the problems was easy for me, whereas some of my mates had to struggle to get typed their exercises in time. I took it as a compensation for my own miserable failure during the preceding drawing exercises of the Core Math lessons. As I used to be the first person to finish my assignment I had almost to be dragged by the master from the computer room.
Tobias standing at The Heroes Corner
|
The morning assemblies, which due to the high number of students took place outside the assembly hall during the first days still had a flavour of novelty for the Amanfoo-novice, who was experiencing such an exercise for the first time in his life. Each morning praying and listening to admonishments and announcements from the headmaster, the senior housemaster or other teachers resulting in praises, shame or punishment meted out in front of the entire student body. (One morning it was announced that a first-former who was absent from classes for several weeks was to report immediately to the Senior Housemaster for a "discussion" if he still wished to be part of the school). Especially impressive however proved to be the mature manner in which the senior prefect was addressing the students. Repeatedly he called upon us to maintain the level of discipline which has made the school famous all over Ghana and beyond. As if it was yesterday I remember the first Sunday morning I came to attend church service in the assembly hall. Wearing a Kente cloth, which I was not used to proved to be somehow difficult for me, but I was overwhelmed by the manifold religious activities on Sunday. In his sermon of the day the headmaster pointed out that God is watching all of our activities and even if we are not caught in the act of stealing or cheating he is aware of our misdeeds, and will bring us to book at the appropriate time. And here I have to introduce "Osofo" (Prince Yeboah). Though I am a Roman Catholic he insisted on taking me to the denominational service of the Pentecostalists. It was heart-warming to experience all the singing, praying and devotion happening there. Fire, fire in my soul ! Not even the rather frantic sermon by the Reverend pastor could terrify me on that day.
After a couple of days sitting in the class, doing exercises, making acquaintance with
the "Goodman" the companion of every aspiring science students and to discuss results with each other, became a sort of daily routine. The Prempeh universe in many aspect is an entity for itself with news from the outside world pouring in only on a selective basis. The thunder of war however in that year did also reach Amanfooland. The very morning American troops entered Iraq found the classroom buzzing like a beehive: Some of us were outrightly admiring the boldness and superior technology of the American troops, others were fiercely opposing their bellicose stand. Especially a young teacher was admonishing the "falcons" on the third day of fighting: "Mark my words. They may have won the war, but they have lost it already". Remarkable foresight! Much time of the breaks I spend opposite the O-Two Forest where food items, soft drinks and stationary materials were available in abundance, if only you were able to pay for them. Already on my first day on Prempeh campus the women selling foodstuff grew quite fond of their regular customer coining affectionate names such as "Osei Bonsu" and "Yaw Broni" for me.
A dry and hot morning in March saw the entire school trooping from Sofoline to the Kumasi Sports Stadium at the other end of the city. Amanfoo secured places in busses, tro-tros and taxis to attend the Asante Region Interzonals and to cheer our team for two subsequent days. "This is our Christmas!". We entered the arena forming a green ocean of pride, enthusiasm and integrity! Before the competition we were reminded not to engage into fights and the vast majority of us stuck to that order, even though hostilities were continuously directed from lesser endowed schools towards us. Prempeh Boys are known to never run rampant and we definitely were the best behaved school during the entire competition. At a certain point however the boys could not sit down, and spontaneously responded to the ill-digested battle-cry from a certain girls-school by spiritedly chanting "You are all HIV, You are all HIV". There was a great deal of concern over some of the injuries our athletes sustained on the evening of first day of the competition and special prayer sessions were held for their recovery in various dorms and houses that night. Yet man proposes, God disposes: In the end the interzonals of that year were lost under controversial circumstances by a margin of a mere point to a certain school from a different part of the city. When I had permission to go to town for medical treatment a couple of days after the interzonals still infuriated I refused to join a vehicle since one of the Santasi-ruffians in his creme-brown uniform has already boarded it.
Naturally some of the seniors of form three took notice of their white fellow student. There were friendly and that saved me of much - though quite appropriately - not all the ordeals a junior is passing through in school. Senior Braimah Awanzam, the assistant prefect of Aggrey house made it possible for me to stay there seeking permission from the Headmaster and the Housemaster. At Aggrey House I learned how matters could be settled internally and certain acts of indiscipline or disrespect are rewarded with anything between a few lashes and scrubbing bath-house and toilet facilities for various weeks. Not however that "Kwasi Buroni" was completely kept out of the performance of such menial tasks, which are inevitably accompanying schoolboy-life: "He is definitely among!", our Math master, pointing in my direction, told a group of students, who had just received the order to clean a newly inaugurated computer lab on the first floor of the classroom blocks. The friendly and yet satisfied grinning on the faces of my classmates, who had complained that this was a job for "form one boys" could hardly be suppressed. After lunch an interminable number of buckets had to be carried to the scene of action where we spend a whole afternoon tediously removing a thick layer of dust and dirt accumulated during the preceding harmattan season.
During the 2005 National Science Quiz competition in Accra, Tobias was in Ghana visiting, and he went to the support
our contestants. He is the sole white male in this photo, second row, far right.
In the front row we have our contestants in green shirts: Asiamah, Kofi Mensah Tawiah.
|
Repeatedly my friends and class-mates where asking me about the perception of Africans in my country: "So in Europe they regard us to be monkeys living in the trees?". "Well, I am not among them" - I muttered rather irritably. But there was this indefinite notion that we had arrived at a matter of great concern. Confronted with the hospitability and academic excellence at Prempeh College that indeed existing perception appeared more outrageous than ever before and I could only bow down in shame and apologise for the attitude of some of my compatriots. There was also a prevailing interest in my assessment of Prempeh teachings compared to Germany: "The academic standards are high, and even though the facilities are better in aburokyire, the commitment, discipline and devotion of the vast majority of the students is second to none I know in Germany" I told my classmates. "But would you for instance imagine that over there students from 16 years of age were allowed to smoke cigarettes on the school-yard? And not only that: In this my nyama-nyama school everybody - including probably some of the teachers knew those among us peddling Indian hemp and other drugs on the schoolyard. No, me de - afei na definitely mepe Prempeh sen aburokyire sukuu!"
Moving closer towards the exam period classes were increasingly replaced by prep sessions. I cannot remember to have studied with the same zeal and determination before, but here circumstances for my own good forced me to do so. Tears were rolling down my cheeks on the fateful day my stay came to an untimely end since I had to return to my native aburokyire. Amanfoo, to be very frank with you: To have had the honour to be at a school attended by numerous Ghanaian of note and to experience the Prempeh spirit, was the most wonderful and magnificent experience of my live so far. My last walks on the school compound led me to places like Heroes Corner, Appean way, Aggrey House and finally the large signboard behind the administration block carrying the names of all Senior Prefects Mother Prempeh had since her inception. Despite the harsh and difficult years and conditions the nation was facing, Mother Prempeh shined and kept the show going on even in times of hardship and severe economic austerity. I suppose that this exalting thought gave me some comfort on a lonesome journey back to Accra and aburokyire. I cherish every second I spent at the most wonderful school in this universe. Long live Prempeh College!
NB: I had the opportunity to visit Prempeh campus again in 2005 and even to cheer Amanfoo during the first round of the science and math quiz in Achimota, the day they crushed Kinbu Sec Tec by a record margin. My prayer for the school is to carry back this trophy to Sofoline in this and all subsequent years. One day I hope to see it with my own eyes.
Return to Reflections
|
