BEGINNING OF FORMAL EDUCATION IN SENYA BERAKU.

BEGINNING OF FORMAL EDUCATION IN SENYA BERAKU.


The spirit of every society is its religion (what it believes in in terms of values and morals); the soul is in its education (what it learns and teaches) and the body is in its economy ( what it produces and distributes). The Senya Beraku community, like every African society, didn't receive its education system from the Europeans as we were deceived to believe. For the people of Senya, even writing, was already in existence before Europeans arrived, except that they used "biriw" (charcoal) to write on surfaces such as clay walls and the bare ground, giving birth to the adage, "Ɔni sɛnyi igowo" (Preserve it on walls), when sending warning to somebody, especially disobedient children. As a result the ancient writings  with such characters survive the test of time. But thank God the characters and the concept behind the building of the characters were successfully passed on to present generation. And I am privileged to be one of the very few custodians of such treasure with the mission is to also pass it on, having received them from Mr Samuel Parry (Author of 'Senyans of Gua', 1971 and former accountant at Volta Hall, University of Ghana). He also received them from the Senya Beraku literature legend and genius, Nenyi Ekuba Topi Isaac Odoom (late).

In ancient times the children of Senya Beraku received their education from the larger society, starting from their parents and elderly males and females, to special tutors called "Ano-ɔkyi" (primates). The "Ano-ɔkyi" were high ranking priests who were in charge of the various "Ano" (paternal shrines) in Senya Beraku. It is important to note that the most revered Asante priests, cofounder and lawgiver of the Asante empire, Komfo Anokye, had this title and position and hence the name "Anokye". Note carefully that Komfo Anokye, whose realm name was Kwame 'Anokye' Frimpong Kotobre (1655 - 1717) was not an Asante but a Guan from Awukugua. 

The "Ano-ɔkyi" of Senya Beraku were in charge of carrying out certain spiritual and social responsibilities assigned to each of the seven "Ano":

1. Nkyiew Ano - Matters relating to divorce and family life.
2. Epa Ano - Matters relating to Festivals
3. Yaw Ano - Matters relating to Puberty and Adolescents
4. Aduku Ano - Matters relating to Funerals
5. Krobo Ano - Matters relating to Marriage
6. Akrama Ano - Matters relating to children and childhood
7. Kwekure Ano - Matters relating to religion (Bireku is the religion of Senyans. To say the African religion has no name is ridiculous). 

In addition to these duties all the "Ano-ɔkyi" are responsible for providing special education for young ones through story telling and other traditional educative art forms. However, this is how formal education began in the community:

In the 1890s the first catechist of the Bethel Methodist Church, Mr Amos, started a school in a very small building, which now serves as the mission house of the Methodist Church. The school was ran two sections - morning and evening. Young boys went in the morning while older boys, mostly fishermen, had their section in the evening. At the time there was nothing like school uniform so the younger boys went to school with cloths tied around their bodies, passing two edges of the cloth under their armpits, crossing over their chest and tied behind their neck. Older boys went in mufti. 

The school was gradually realising improvement when unfortunately the Kow Aboagye war (history to be told soon) broke out in 1914, leading to the collapse of the school. The school was later restarted but faced a lot of challenges and lack of progress due to mismanagement and the presence of only one teacher to teach. When the teacher left the school it again collapsed due to the displeasure of some concerned leaders of the land. They came together to revive it. Among them were:

1. Papa Godfrey Amamo (A merchant)
2. Supi Kow Aboagye (Dentiwo Army Commander)
3. Supi Kobina Abakah (Tuawo Army Commander)
4. H. W. Quartey (a.k.a. Papa Kwesi Gyan)
5. E. H. Doughan (a.k.a. Papa Doughan)
6. Edward William Graham (a.k.a. Papa Graham)
7. Mr. John Kobina Asibu (a.k.a. Nenyi Akondoh X)

This council of leaders arranged for new teachers from Winneba to teach in the school. One Mr Alfred Quaye Akyeampong (a.k.a. Okido) who was at the time teaching in a nursery school at Winneba was the only person and native who surfaced. He was entrusted with the headship and charged to get other colleague teachers to assist him teach in the school. Later, he was able to get the assistance of Mr Bonney Ghartey (a.k.a. Teacher Bonney), Mr Kow Haziel and Mr J. A. Anderson Junior (a.k.a. Nenyi Kwandah).

Under the new arrangement the Methodist Church was to only quote scriptures in the morning while the community took over the management with the above mentioned personalities as Board of Directors. They unanimously named the school Oma School (State School). The teachers taught Arithmetics, Reading, Dictation and History. On Fridays Papa Graham gave them a lot of toffees and they went through the communities to gather children. This marvelously increased the enrollment within the shortest time and gave full life and hope to the school and the future of the community.

Unfortunately, when all was running well the teachers began to demand for increase in their salary. Mr Alfred Acheampong the headmaster was receiving the highest pay of £1,5. When the management board however refused to grant their demand, Mr Acheampong left the school to work with the Cocoa Research Institute at Tafu in 1941. The school began to suffer another threat as the other teachers also left. 

To save the school from another collapse, Papa Kwesi Gyan, being a wealthy business man, built a three classroom block in 1944 to accommodate the standard one, two and three pupils. Initially he intended to build the block for the Methodist church to provide the teachers but the negotiation failed. And he took over the management. With his personal funds he provided uniforms for all the pupils and employed teachers to teach. He then built the storey building called Lion House to serve as accommodation for all the teachers. 

The school began to see full life and has since raised giants sons and daughters not only for the Senya Beraku community but Ghana as a whole. 

Beginning of Nursery education

Until 1964 there was no nursery school in Senya Beraku. Therefore, a very young, beautiful and energetic woman of Senya Beraku living in Accra, called Madam Sophia Botwey (Mama Accra House) joined her mother, Madam Jane Quarshie, to gather small children together and started the first Nursery School, Happy Home Day Care Centre in their house. Later, Madam Jane Quarshie went ahead to start the Ahammediah School at Krobonsi, being one of the Senya Beraku villages. 

Girl Child Education
Like every other Ghanaian community, the girl child education was never given special attention in Senya Beraku. But in 1998 the late Mr Kwesi Essel Koomson, employed the services and sacrifice of his sister, Madam Dorcas Otoo as headmistress, and one of his Catholic Church members, Mrs Cecilia Adawu (a.k.a. Aunty Sisi, as teacher) to pick little girls to start girl child education in Senya Beraku.

They went round and had thirty five little girls and at the premises of the Catholic Church, the Mother Teresa School for Girls was started with no child paying any pesewa for the education. Mr Kwesi Essel Koomson organised party for the girls every year and paid the staff until his unfortunate death in 2010. 

At the moment there are countless schools in the community, both private and public with one Senior High School established in 1994 (History to be told later). The first private school in Senya to write the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) is the Jehovah Shammah School Complex established by Pastor Daniel Vak Bekoe in 1997.

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