"Annual Report on the Boarding School"

Of the 24 pupils in the school (excluding day-pupils) at the beginning of the second half of the year had left by Christmas - one to become Tschopp’s servant, one because he simply did not want to attend school. The school suffered an epidemic of measles in September and October. One of the pupils (at least) seems to have had tuberculosis (Charles Odame). He probably cannot therefore be taken into mission employment, though this will have to be decided in the next half year, since he has the requisite seniority. His classmate Martin Pereko can probably be recommended. In reviewing the history of the graduates of the School who had been to the Middle School at Begoro Schmid remarks that Jacob Muni was in fact from the coast and has returned there. (Much of the report is couched in terms of an apologia to the mission friends in Europe - and indeed to the Kwahu people themselves - for the scanty observable returns from the school) Some points emerge as to the regime in the school: - They are not supposed to get the area, around their sleeping rooms dirty. - They are issued with soap weekly to wash their clothes on Saturdays. - They are supposed to wash their hands, face and feet every morning before morning prayers, but usually one can see traces in at least one case of a man who has simply bathed his face in the dew on the way to the chapel. - Cutlasses etc used in the cleaning of the station regularly go missing, and the guilty party claims that someone took it, rather than acknowledging simply that he lost it out of carelessness. Schmid is teaching them singing with the help of a violin which lately arrived from Hamburg. Christmas was au usual a big event. On the altar in the chapel, they had two illuminated transparent pictures one of the birth of Jesus, the other of the presentation by the Wise Men. In the comments on the table of information on the scholars is the information that Odame carried earth in the days when the mission house in Abetifi was being built. None of the boys is a slave or pawn. Schmid offers the names.of all the boys who had been in the Boarding School and left before he took over, since 1879 (in the order they appeared in the register): Kwasi Wiredu, Kwabena Abankwa, Kweku Brehunu, Kweku Agyako, Kwasi Ansong, Kwaku Fori, Kofi Koranteng, Kwame Ohemeng, Kvabena Obee, Kofi Asomaning, Kwami Boo, Kwasi Akomaning, Kofi Anim, Kwasi Fosuhene, Kwadwo Bre, Kwame Atakora, Kwaku Muni, Kwaku Beko, Kofi Adakwa, Kwami Bekoe, Kwabena Gyane, Kwame Bosompem, Kwabena Anim, Yaw Pereko, Kwasi Gyamera, Kwami Aforo, Kwaku Anim, Kwame See, Kwasi Titia, Kweku Darefo, Yaw Donko (the names were written in modern script).

10.01.1888

10.01.1888

Text