The Smoke After The Fire: The Carolean Spirit Behind St Charles Minor Seminary & Senior High School

A decision by the 2007 year group to commemorate their 10th anniversary was announced to all gathered on the 4th of November 2016 to celebrate the St Charles feast day, the group took a decision to renovate an unroofed bathing compartment that has worsened from its already deteriorated form some 10 years back.

I am a proud carolean (historically Caroleans were the soldiers of the Swedish kings Charles XI and Charles XII,the Carolean army was regarded to have been perhaps the most effective military force of their day, a soldier's daily ration was meant to consist of 625 grams of dry bread, 850 grams of butter or "pork", lol) an aluminus of St Charles Minor Seminary Senior High School, of the 2007 year group. 

On the 15th of September 2017 along with other members of our 10th anniversary project committee, I had the pleasure of interacting with the Headmaster, students and staff of the school and made a cash donation to the school.

The initial plan of renovating a bathing compartment to mark the anniversary celebration was suspended due to a fire outbreak that razed the 2 storey GETFUND building which hitherto housed majority of the students of the school. The event of 21st March 2017 was a big blow to the school with a population of about 500 students, we therefore decided to divert our resources to supporting the school to finish an uncompleted building project, to ease the plight of the school regarding the lack of space for accommodation. A building that once served as a dining hall has now been crammed with over a hundred student beds and converted into a makeshift accommodation for the Caroleans. This is the best the school can do for now to avoid closing down, it also raises the pertinent issue of the potential outbreak of diseases especially if the situation persists to the next warm season, at which point comfort will be the least of the concerns of the school.

Many were those who visited the site to empathize with the school and many more were those who pledged to in various ways see to the immediate renovation of the structure for use. But as the Dagomba sages would put it, "if you think your donkey to be a horse, it is when the race is over you will see it for the ass it is". To this day, the building remains same, standing in magnificent tatters, a pale shadow of its once glorious self, and a painful reminder to the continuing students of the properties they lost in that inferno.
The Headmaster of the school who recently made news for allegedly turning away students who came to enjoy their right to "Free SHS" explained that the school requested for a much smaller number due to its accommodation challenges, but the school placement system allocated a number almost double the one requested, this, he said, accounted for the school's inability to admit more.

I will avoid wading into the most politicized and controversial discussion of the decade, "Free SHS", in order not to limit the audience of this post to those who align themselves to the opinions expressed in the post. But the situation raises very relevant questions about the preparedness of the Government of the day to implement the flagship policy vis-a-vis the capacity of Senior High Schools across the country to effectively absorb qualified students to achieve the aim of this wonderful policy.

The 2007 year group is just one of many groups that have made the effort, to support the school with our widows might, it is indeed better to give than to receive. I will like to salute and appreciate any and everyone and parish that has supported the school in its attempt to cope and prepare for the academic battles that lie ahead in wait.

Of immense and unwavering concern to me though is the Government's silence on this matter, concerning the bigger project, the repair of the burnt down structure for use as promised by various high ranking individuals and groupings of Government during the early days after the fire disaster. I am therefore calling on Government (that says it is prioritizing education), any individual or group out there to look upon this gesture of generosity by the 2007 Carolean year group with inspiration and as a call to action, to support this great school called St Charles Minor Seminary Senior High School rise again from the ashes.

"Arise Caroleans and shine..."