In form 1 and 2, I was a day student who studied Business at the Nsein Senior High School Axim, formerly known as Kwame Nkrumah Secondary school. Being a day student did not stop me from occasionally partaking in entertainment periods. One of my fondest moments was performing “No Night in Zion” by Joseph Hill ( Culture). Find out how I actually spent “no night” in the boarding house because of my guardian Angel in human form; Mr Kwamena Arthur. My name is Stephen Tete Mantey and this is “My Teacher Story”
Moving to Axim meant I did not get the chance to attend my desired school; St. Johns or Fijai. My dad was transferred and he preferred me as a day student. One of my favorite teachers, Mr Kwamena Arthur, was a tutor of the Business class.He handled Business Management. My favourite topic was Insurance. His teaching style was practical and he gave logical explanations for easy comprehension. He made his lessons so tangible by using practical examples from the corporate world. That particular topic always caused an uproar in class with varying views and opinions.
I shared a unique bond with him, I guess it was because I was always active in his class, be it answering questions or cracking funny jokes to diffuse tension. In my third year, my parents decided I would complete by going to the boarding house. Unfortunately, I could inform Mr Arthur about this new plan of joining the boarding house in the third year. At the time, he found out I had already made full payment towards the boarding fee. In spite of this, and after my first month in the boarding house, he asked if I was going to be fine moving to live in the bungalow with him. I responded positively. There were two other colleagues of mine who also came to live in the same bungalow. One other Economics teacher was also in the same compound. With time our bond grew stronger than ever. During holidays, I sometimes spend some good time at his residence in Takoradi.
I am still in touch with Mr Kwamena Arthur. He is now at the National Health Insurance Authority in one of the sub-metros in Sekondi-Takoradi. I also work in the health sector as a Hospital Administrator. I usually seek his input in some plans of mine. Like Mr. Arthur more teachers can draw inspiration from the corporate world to make their classes more practical. They can also invite resource persons who have the know-how to specific topics to provide students with different opinions on issues.
Education has become dynamic. We all have a part to play; teachers, the community and family. The government should invest well in vocational education. If we can also have an aspect of mandatory 2nd language for various levels, it will help us level up to the competition from other countries.
My Final words Mr Arthur will be; “Daddy, I want to thank you a lot for the intervention you had during my SHS days and you took it upon yourself to actually allow me to come and live with you. It was a major breakthrough for me. Mr Kwamena Arthur. God bless you”
Stephen completed Nsein Senior High School, Axim in 2004. Did you attend Nsein Senior High School too? Were you a student of Mr Kwamena Arthur? Share your experience about how he impacted your life in the comment section.Do you have a teacher who motivated and impacted your life in a way that made you who you are today? Share with us on “My Teacher Story”. Share this story, give it a like and do follow us on our social media handles @WeGo Innovate on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube and LinkedIn