THE HISTORY
When the Sakumono Estates was built in 1989 by the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), Catholics were among the pioneer residents to also occupy new housing units constructed in the area. When the then Catholic Bishop of Accra, Bishop Dominic Kwodwo Andoh gave his consent for a new Catholic Church to be established in the community, he placed it under the pastoral jurisdiction of Good Shepherd Catholic Church at Tema Community Two.
The need for Catholic discipline among the growing students’ population in the area caused the Catholic Church to start a school in the area, and especially, to give the then Catholic students a sound education in a Catholic environment. So, in 1991, under the (now) late Rev. Father Patrick Twi, the idea of establishing a Catholic School in the area was mooted. In that year, Holy Child Nursery was built, and later in the next year, 1992, the Primary school was also built to accommodate the graduates of that early foundation.
On 20th September, 1992, Holy Child Nursery School was officially opened alongside Holy Child Primary, and consecrated by Rev Father Francis Asagba of Good Shepherd Catholic Church at Tema Community Two, under whose jurisdiction the then young Catholic Church was placed. Formal classes started on the 29th of September, 1992. The first headteacher of the school was Mrs Mercy Amamoo.
The school was run as a private school until 25th November, 1992 when it was absorbed by the Ghana Education Service into the Public System. So, on 17th December, 1992, which was the beginning of the First Term Holiday of 1992, Mrs Mercy Amamoo handed over the administration of the school to Mrs Gladys Kudowor.
The school is endowed with well Qualified Teachers with everyone having at least, a First Degree as the Minimum Qualification, coupled with the resounding support it receives from its Management, has culminated in its annual 100 % pass in the BECE since its establishment, and other enviable positions attain during competitions. This includes Golden Awards in Spelling Bee Competitions, Best Performing School in Science, among others.
So far, the school has received three Presidential awards for best Academic Performance in B.E.C.E. with the recent one been the Presidential Award brought upon the school during the 65th Independence Anniversary Celebrations by one of its 2020 B.E.C.E. graduates.
To sustain the academic successes of the school, it has rolled out series of innovations such as conduction of frequent tests to always keep the pupils on their toes, organization of Classed-based meetings between teachers of each class and parents of the Learners, the vibrant Reading Project in the school, organization of Educational Trips to Science and ICT Centres for the BECE candidates every year, in a bid to adequately prepare them for their BECE, organization of successful yearly School Performance Appraisal Meeting (SPAM), among host of others.
The school is having vibrant School Clubs. The school’s Culture and Drama Club is often fell upon by the Education Office during occasions like world AIDS Day, Send-Offs for officials and teachers, among other programmes. In 2018, the school took the First Position for Best Marching School during the 6th March of that year. The school also take part in Class-based Physical Education activities.
As was the motivational drive that pushed for the establishment of the school, the school continues to provide academic training in sound Catholic environment, by neatly weaving some of the Catholic doctrines in the Academic Calendar of the school, which is the dean of the resounding academic performances and discipline of the school. The Learners and Teachers actively take part in Mass every fortnight in addition to Class-based Worship every other Wednesday.
In spite of the glowing fame of Holy Child R/C Basic School, some ugly challenges still stare it in its face. The school is in dire need of desks, laptops, projectors, a modern printer, desks, cupboards, modern tables and chairs for teachers, ICT tools, Science apparatus, story books, among others. Work on the new school building under construction should also be sped up to further decongest the classrooms of Learners, and should also be redesigned to include a Computer Laboratory and Science Laboratory. Major renovation of the old school buildings should also be undertaken.
The school should also be walled to wade-off intruders. Notwithstanding all these, the school continues to receive sound support from its Management, the past and present Local Managers of the school, the Pastoral Council of Corpus Chris Catholic Church, well-meaning parents and residents, Companies, NGOs, the past and present Members of Parliament for the school’s catchment, not forgetting the various Assembly Members of Sakumono Electoral Area.