Model Nursery School Marks 50th Anniversary

By Andrew William Parker

The Model Nursery School has held its 50th anniversary and 31st graduation, speech and prize-giving day in Accra on the theme, 'Celebrating half a century of legendary leadership in early childhood education -- Taking stock of achievements, challenges and prospects'.

The school is the only existing pre-school unit of the Ghana Education Service (GES) in the country established in 1965 by the Danish trained teachers, Miss Grace Boafo and Miss Joyce Larbi, both of blessed memory.

It was set up to serve as a demonstration school for the training of pre-school teachers and also to serve as a "Model" for the establishment of other nursery schools in the country, hence the name 'Model Nursery School'.

The guest speaker, Mrs Matilda Amissah-Arthur, former Second Lady speaking on the theme said early childhood was an important period in the development of a child's personality-- from birth to eight years.

The first two years of a child's life are spent in the creation of a child's first "Sense of self".

She observed that most children could differentiate between themselves and other children by their second year and called on early childhood educators to have knowledge in the developmental changes and knowledge in the subjects they teach in the classroom.

The former First Lady, also urged early childhood educators to handle classroom behaviour positively, adding, "Even in those early ages, children are very sensitive and any negative remarks and unfriendly attitudes by teachers and caregivers can scare them for life. Children can excel academically as well as socially if their education is handled properly."

Mrs Amissah-Arthur said partnership was the way to go and called on parents to partner with the school to ensure that some of the things needed for effective teaching and learning were provided.

"Most of the time we tend to say that government has to provide everything because we parents pay fees but parents must support the government to boost the quality of the services we use, parents must support the government to provide the better quality education that we want for our little ones," she added.

The head teacher of the school, Ms Helen Alema said the school which started with 25 children and three teachers can now boast of 278 children and 36 staff, 15 non-teaching staff and a NaBCO personnel.

She said the success of every institution depended on the bond and commitment of the stakeholders, and praised the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) for being the backbone of the many successes and urged them not to rest on their oars.

Ms Alema said the graduates from the school who went for interviews for admissions into Class One and Kindergarten 2 sailed through their interviews successfully, gaining admissions into their first-choice schools like Ridge Church School, North Ridge-Lyceum Morning Star and others.

"Model Nursery School is indeed a privileged school, and out there, many think that we lack nothing. This school would have been a safe haven to live if there were no holdups. The school requires a refurbished library with modern books in ICT and French, adequate play equipment and a common hall to facilitate teaching and learning," she lamented.

On her part, Miss Mercy-Michelle Narh, the out-going school prefect thanked teachers, parents and guardians for their respective roles played in chalking this success and called on parents and guardians to nurture, mould, love and protect the future of the children.

Joe Ghartey, Minister for Railway Development and an old parent and Samuel James Nii Adjei Tawiah, Municipal Chief Executive, Korle-Klottey Municipal Assembly, were among some dignitaries who graced the occasion.

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