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GOVERNMENT SECONDARY TECHNICAL SCHOOL
CONGO CROSS, FREETOWN, SIERRA LEONE.
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55th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS
Address at 2012 Founders Day Ceremony
by Mr Alfred Koroma, an Ex Pupil.
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2012 ANNUAL INTER HOUSE ATHLETICS SPORTS MEETING
Mrs Z. Milton
Mr Habib Jarr
Mr Benson Koroma
GAMES TEACHERS
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POSITION OF HOUSES
1st Position CURIE
2nd Position EINSTEIN
3rd Position FARADAY
4th Position MARCONI
5th Position TAYLOR-PEARCE
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54th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS
The Government Secondary Technical School observed its Founders Day Ceremony on Friday 21 January 2011.
The ceremony took place at 9.30am at the school grounds.
In connection with the above, Mr Andrew Lisk-Carew, an Ex Pupil, was invited to give an address at the Founders Day Ceremony.
Address at 2011 Founders Day Ceremony
by Mr Ronald Andrew Lisk-Carew, an Ex Pupil.
Good morning distinguished guests, faculty, staff, parents, students, alumni and friends of Government Secondary Technical School.
I must first extend my sincere thanks and gratitude to the men and women who many years ago founded a unique school with dreams of teaching students technical job skills and academic knowledge. After 54 years, the Founders dream is still being realized as we look around the campus at this unique school with students and faculty striving for excellence.
Second, thanks to Principal Erick Kamara. I extend my appreciation and thank you for your kind invitation to address this body during today’s Foundation Day celebration. Sir, I am grateful for your leadership and dedication to the school and students.
Third, my appreciation is to the faculty and staff for their continued hard work in fostering and developing our beloved students for challenging and greater achievements and success. As you know, teaching done well is the profession that makes all other professions possible.
Lastly, to the students, thank you for having me today. As I look at your young and eager faces, it takes me back to my days here. I am proud to say I am an alumni of Government Secondary Technical School. Sec Tec provided me with the foundation during my formative years for my future achievements and I hope it will for you too.
Since leaving Sec Tec in 1969, I have lived and worked in the UK. I first served in the Royal Air Force (RAF), Engineering Wing, from 1969 – 1974. I have worked as a Community Worker, Senior Education Social Worker, et cetera. I was appointed a Magistrate in England in 1984 (Aged 34).
Recently, I heard on the radio that “Education is the key to success in life” and “Education can change lives for the better.” In my case, Education at Government Secondary Technical School changed my life. I thank my mother for her bold decision to send me here at a time when it was prestigious to attend other schools. My mother saw what few did and understood there is something different and special in this school. Additionally, I say, thank you to Government Secondary Technical School for playing a greater part in making me who and what I am today. Who said “school days are the best but not the happiest” obviously she/he did not attend this school. The Founders dreams of providing academic and technical skills and the discipline it instils in students has been realized over and over again. Attending this school was one of the best and the happiest five years of my life. We had great faculty, developed and made life-long friends.
The Topic of my Presentation is: Perseverance and Partnership.
I selected Perseverance obviously, because of the school’s motto to “PERSEVERE”. The selection of Partnership is because, I truly believe we can achieve a lot more by working together toward a common goal. Working together means supporting one another, it also means helping each other towards the common goal of achieving success. It does not mean having someone doing your work. It means cooperation, working as a team, just like we witnessed at the Inter House Sports Day event last Wednesday, which culminated in a great victory by the “MIGHTY CURIE HOUSE.” Achievement with honour not through cheating, through hard work.
I mention cheating because I heard it is a common practice for Students to cheat for good marks. Cheating is a short-term gain and does not contribute to your growth and development, nor to Sierra Leone’s future.
Recently, I heard that Government Secondary Technical School is striving for the status of the “best well-behaved students in Freetown.” I would like to congratulate Einstien House for being the best behaved students’ House last year. I would like to hear next that Secondary Technical School is the best behaved school in Sierra Leone. For me, that will be a great achievement and honour.
I want to hear that Secondary Technical School students are doing well academically too. To do well academically need Perseverance. Two old sayings come to mind, “If there is a will, there is a way” and “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again.” One thing I have learned in life is ‘one is never too old to learn.” I mention this to let you know that I embarked on my graduate university studies for my Masters in Business Administration at the age of 49 years, and graduated at age 50, in the year 2000. It was a great learning experience, especially exchanging ideas and working as a team during seminar discussions with younger students. It wasn’t easy, but I persevered and hung in there.
Many of you may have heard of “Bill Gates” – founder of Microsoft, the computer giant. Bill Gates started working with computers at 13 years old with friends at school. I will encourage you to Google “Bill Gates” to learn more about him. As they say, the rest is history. He is a billionaire and uses his money to support all types of goals around Africa and the world.
As current students of our beloved Secondary Technical School, let us, in the words of our school song, “put our shoulders to the wheel” and “With mind and hand ...” do our best so that “Our school shall grow from strength to strength; E'er seeking the ideal; And all of us ... strive at length, To make perfection real.”
Thank you for listening, and well done Curie House for another fantastic victory.
Best wishes,
Ronald Andrew Lisk-Carew
SEC TEC ALUMNUS
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2011 ANNUAL INTER HOUSE ATHLETICS SPORTS MEETING
Mrs Z. Milton
Mr Habib Jarr
Mr Benson Koroma
GAMES TEACHERS
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POSITION OF HOUSES
1st Position CURIE
2nd Position FARADAY
3rd Position TAYLOR-PEARCE
4th Position EINSTEIN
5th Position MARCONI
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03 August 2004
You do not know how happy I am to have found our school's website. I am so touched and pleased for all your hard work.
I attended Government Secondary Technical School from 1990 to 1995 and again in 1997. I loved my school, I enjoyed my education and God knows how proud I am to call myself an ex-student of GSTS.
I joined the Girl Guides in 1991 and became a patrol leader in 1993. I earned a prize for excellent academic work in 1992. I was in Curie House all my academic years and participated in athletics for my House team in 1991. I left Sierra Leone in July 1997 for Ghana, where I attended the Burma Camp Military Technology School and earned a certificate in basic computer skills. I left Ghana in December 1997 for Malta. I stayed in Malta and completed my Junior College course in English Literature.
From Malta I moved to the United States of America to further my education in Computer Information Systems and Human Resources. I have now graduated with a Bachelors degree in CIS & HR. Currently, I am working on my Masters program in Public and International Affairs, which I should embark on in January 2005.
l am very grateful for the educational opportunity our school gave me. I will forever be proud to say that our motto 'PERSEVERE' has been the foundation of my accomplishment over the years.
I will like to extend my sincere thanks to all the teachers, fellow students and head of departments for their endless support.
Once again, thank you Secondary Technical School.
Lois M. Ngobeh
Ex-Student
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In October 2001, Musa Massaquoi says:
I attended the GSTS from September 1982 to July 1988. I became a
prefect in the 1987/88 school year; participated in sporting activities and I
was also a member of the Scripture Union. I am presently studying in
Moscow (Telecommunications and Electronics Engineering).
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GOD'S BLESSING AND GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR STUDIES MUSA.
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REFLECTION ON A VERY SPECIAL YEAR -- '2000'
This is dedicated to thank God above all and:
say thank you to all our teachers and support staff for their very hard work and diligence throughout the many years at our beloved alma mater, as well as to
the founders, in particular for their vision; our parents, guardians and the Sierra Leone community for their caring support and for excellent school friends.
Thank you
"Secondary Technical School" and
"The Technical Institute" for 'PERSEVERANCE' and contributing to our successes in life, who and what we are today.
Ronald Andrew Lisk-Carew
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"Through Struggles to the Stars" from "Perseverance".
Monday, 5 January 2004 was one of the most significant days of my life.
I was greatly honoured when I had the opportunity to be amongst present pupils and speak at my alma mater's morning assembly, in particular about my glorious years at "Sec Tec".
I told them that I strive to live up to the motto of our school "PERSEVERE" and use the Royal Air Force's motto "Per Ardua ad Astra", which is translated as, "Through Struggles to the Stars" to strengthen and motivate me, having served in the Royal Air Force following my Secondary Technical School days. I encouraged pupils to always strive for the best in life as I had in my capacity as Senior Education Social Worker with Birmingham City Council in particular.
I was reassured to find that many pupils were enthusiastic to attend school to learn, and that dedicated teachers and support staff, are still committed to their honourable profession, doing their best under painful conditions.
I was also able to see that sadly, much needs to be done to improve the material resources of the school, despite the admirable efforts of the Ex-Pupils Association and others, working hard for current pupils.
Any financial support, however small, will make a huge difference especially to pupils most in need.
Happy Nouvelle Year
Sent in Love...
Ronald Andrew Lisk-Carew
JP MBA DSW CQSW
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Success is to be measured
Not so much by the position
That one has reached in life
As by the obstacles
Which s/he has overcome
While trying to succeed.
Booker T. Washington
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"Make a career of humanity. . . and you will make a greater person of
yourself.......and a finer world to live in."
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
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"We Stand on the Shoulders of Those who Came Before Us"
"Information is Power"
"Knowledge Dispels Fear"
"Modern days and conditions call for new things, but we must tenderly preserve the old (African) life and customs."
ALPHONSO SILVESTER LISK-CAREW
(1883-1969)
Art Photographer and Publisher
by Royal Warrant
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Odi et amo. Fortasse requires quare esse. Nescio sed sentio et excrutior.
I love and I hate. Perhaps you will ask how this can be? I do not know but
'tis agony.
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"If we all did the things we are capable of doing, we would literally
astound ourselves."
Thomas A. Edison
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Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?
Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?
T.S. Eliot, from The Rock, 1934
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From far, from eve and morning
And yon twelve-winded sky
The stuff of life to knit me
Blew hither, here am I.
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(From A Room with a View by EM Forster.)
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