Kids stun parents at Careguide Montessori graduation

Kids stun parents at Careguide Montessori graduation

The pupils show off their certificates

Kids; it appears we can’t call them so any more. Not after they exhibit adult-like traits, like a cadet parade where a beautiful young student bellows out instruction to his ‘officers’ as was the case during the graduation ceremony of Careguide Montessori School at Gbawe, Accra.

It was a graduation for 39 Kindergarten 2 pupils moving on to primary school. The school was established in 14th June 2004 to train “morally upright and patriotic children” at their own learning pace. The school today has 192 pupils, 30 teachers – an impressive ratio of about 7 student to 1 teacher.

It has 5 school buses transporting pupils to school and back to ease the anxiety parents face morning and evening over their children’s travel safety. They also provided regular meals.

The school choir sang for us, ironically a song meant for them, – ‘will your anchor hold in the storms of life’. Can you believe that? And as I listened and watched their raw innocence, I wondered if their anchors will hold them fixed in what is true in the many relatives of morality today.

A young boy provided video coverage of the event, a team of pupils were instrumentalists for the day and four others played masters of ceremony at intermittent intervals; One of them – Akosua – was adjudged the ‘youngest state presenter’ and was a winner of a presidential award in 2009.

And her performance was stunning. Stunning enough to confidently instruct the intrusive paparazzi ‘carefully position themselves in order not to obstruct our parent’.

A Joy FM presenter was in one of them I could see. And they largely outdid most of the adults who took the mic.

Such graduations are meant to stun us, shock us and even – shame us. Those we thought know little, show us how they have picked up the pieces of brilliance, talents and abilities that adults unconsciously drop as they grow.

A line of one of the many recitals by Kindergarten 2 and class 1 pupils made a mark – “Never think about the past, it brings tears. Never think about the future, it bring fears”. True, isn’t?

Some pupils sang the national anthem in Ga, others did a play in French and another in Japanese titled ‘Genki Desuka?’ meaning ‘how are you’. In Japanese, good morning is ‘Ohayougozaimasu’ – very long isn’t it? I would not be surprised if the sun lasts longer in Japan.

But, well I have the benefit of writing it – not pronouncing it. You do so at your own linguistic risk. But the kids spoke it and sang it with cheeky ease.

The guest speaker, Dr. Cephas Narh, a lecturer at Central University College couldn’t help starting his speech by requesting a round of applause from the excited, but clueless (at the Japanese sketch) audience.

He said God’s command to dominate the earth set out the need for teaching and learning and today, man through learning, has dominated distance with technology.

So learning started from God, he reiterated. He revealed that many Christians shun learning because they believed it would erode their faith. But not any more, he said.

The products of our educational system is suffering because, “we have kicked God out of learning”, he said. It is today producing managing directors who beat their wives, hackers who steal with their brains.

He condemned the non-examination status of Religious and Moral Education in the basic school curricula of the country’s education system. He congratulated the management of the school for providing a Christian-centered education.

He said parents could use the beaming colours of the traffic light, daily chores, germination of plants to train children about morality.

The pupils were awarded for their curiosity, leadership skills, respect, humility and even contribution in class.

The overall best student for KG1 and KG 2 went to Gracy Ama Mensah and Abdul Raheem Seidu respectively.

And Management did not fail to recognize one of their best teachers with an award – Uncle Fred – an excellent French teacher. Mr. Boifio, a management member announced the decision of management to give Uncle Fred’s son who is in a secondary school, a one-year scholarship.

A child is a 100% adult inside and a teacher is a 100% child inside and the work of the management of Careguide Montessori through their headmistress Madam Grace Lamptey have shown through the smart displays, the confident aura of their pupils that they are doing just what their motto inspires them to do -exploring to discover.