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The Methodist Boys’ High School (then Wesleyan Methodist Boys’ High School) was born on the 6th of April 1874 under the leadership of Rev. Joseph Claudius May as the first Principal. The founder was the Rev. Benjamin Tregaskis.
Rev. May was born at Charles Street in Freetown, Sierra Leone, on the l4th of August 1845 to the late Rev. Joseph May and Mrs. Annie May.
In 1865 he sailed abroad to further his education at the Boroughs Road College in London – his father’s alma mater. Eighteen months later he qualified as an Educator, and went on to Queen’s College, Taunton, where he did some university work. While he was studying in England, The possibility of establishing a denominational school was being discussed by the Sierra Leone District of Wesleyan Methodist Society, under the General Superintendence of the Rev. Benjamin Tregaskis He realized that there was a great need for a “high class” school to benefit the Methodist youth’s of the community. Rev. Tregaskis communicated his views on this subject to the Methodist Missionary authorities at Bishops Gate Street, London.
He earnestly expressed his views as follows: “‘The people of Sierra Leone must be educated. They are desirous to have education and must have it at any cost. You may sooner think of closing your chapels than of extending religion in the settlement without education.” With the approval of the Missionary Committee a property at the King Tom area was sold, and with the authority of the same committee a house at Falcon-bridge Battery was bought by Rev. Tregaskis on the 21st of December l87l .
At about that same time, Rev. Tregaskis encouraged Mr. May to return to Freetown from London with a promise of becoming a future teacher at the proposed secondary school.
At seven o’clock on Monday morning the 6’h of April 1874, the Wesleyan Methodist Boys High School was born at the Falcon-bridge Battery facility in Freetown, with eight foundation pupils. Proceedings began with the Rev. Tregaskis reading the eighth chapter of the Book of Proverbs followed by a fervent prayer- He then gave a kind and instructive address to eight pupils, urging then to diligence and perseverance. He bade them to be true to their God, their race and their country. Twenty-four hours later he left the shores of Sierra Leone for his home in England – his mission was accomplished!
Rather than a teacher, he had appointed Mr. May, Principal of the newly found school – The Wesleyan Methodist Boys’ High School. The school adopted a British-structured style of education. Mr. May remained in his office for twenty-eight years until his death on September 4th. 1902.
This institution of higher learning has been relocated a few times, during which it has produced many distinguished and responsible men and women in societies and organisations sprinkled all over the world. Today, the facility is located in Kissy Mess Mess, in the east end of Freetown. It is currently divided-up into Intermediate and Senior schools.
GNI
We are working in collaboration with our MBHS Brothers and Sisters in the US and Sierra Leone, through the Global Network Initiative [GNI], we have taken great strides in improving the general outlook of the School, to make it a bit more appealing to the Pupils, staff and visitors to the School.
Projects
In its present situation, the MBHS faces many problems, including, but not limited to, security around the school, encroachment on school property, overcrowding, an outdated curriculum, dilapidated furniture, non-existent laboratory equipment, poor infrastructure, and lack of teaching materials. Various attempts have been made in the past to address these problems. Perhaps because the efforts were uncoordinated, they have not been very successful. Currently, every aspect of running the school cries out for attention, the most important of which is the school’s inability to pay competitive salaries to attract and keep good teachers. In an era when the Government of Sierra Leone (GoSL) is unable to properly support the school and the Methodist Mission is unable to play its customary role as financial and spiritual underwriter, it is incumbent upon all of us to pay more attention to the needs of the school through a structured global effort.
John Davies at the new wall
In November 2010, Mr. Wilfred Morgan from the UK chapter visited the school and reported the school’s infrastructure to be in ruins. In his anguish, he decided to do something about it. Mr. Morgan will return to Freetown in May 2011 to carry out a Needs Assessment Survey (NAS). This document will be used to institute a new approach to support and sustain the school. We will shortly provide a timeline for this effort. This document will also allow us to plan short, medium, and long term initiatives, including taking immediate steps to stop the downward spiral of the school. In the meantime, this site and proposed ICT access at the school premises will be used to facilitate open discussion and exchange of ideas with all stakeholders, including current pupils.
The new wall
We propose that the GNI include representatives from all stakeholder groups identified above and it will be managed by a Global Board. This board will establish subcommittees as it sees fit, and it will be solely responsible to approval all projects and disburse funds to carry out approved projects. A project management committee will control the investigation, design, implementation and management of all Global Network Initiative projects. These practitioners will be professionals or have appropriate qualifications in administering social and educational programs, including donor funds, and in evaluating, monitoring and reporting of every aspect of the project in a timely manner. The committee will also be responsible to communicate with all stakeholders, including the GoSL and the donor community at home and abroad. To achieve the objectives of this initiative, stakeholders or the GNI global board submit funding proposals/requests to various institutions/funding sources. Individual project proposals should base their requests on the Needs Assessment Survey. While we await the Needs Assessment Survey (NAS), some of the areas of grave concern for the school and stakeholders are
- Support the salaries and benefits of teachers
- Assist in the recovering of encroached land
- Facilitate privatizing the school – an entrepreneurial approach.
- Expand the curriculum to reflect current trends of workforce and skills development
- Find access to capital through organizations like USAID, Millennium Promise Organization and others.
About Us
The Methodist Boys’ High School Alumni Association UK is the United Kingdom branch of a global group of ex-pupils of the Methodist Boys’ High School in Freetown Sierra Leone.
The Methodist Boys’ High School Global Network Initiative (GNI) comprises all constituent entities related to the governance, administration, management, and support of the Methodist Boys’ High School (MBHS) at Kissy Mess Mess, Freetown, Sierra Leone, West Africa. These entities include the school administration, the board of governors, all alumni associations across the world, Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Education Science and Technology, and the Sierra Leone Methodist Church Conference. In consultation, these stakeholders resolved to establish the MBHS Global Network Initiative to address the needs of the school in a structured, constructive, and visionary manner.
We recognize that our alma mater has seen immeasurable decline in infrastructure and academic standards during the last twenty-five years. The decline is due to many factors, including the eleven-year rebel war in Sierra Leone. We further recognize that the rebuilding of the MBHS lies squarely on the shoulders of its many alumni who desire to see the school return to its lost glory.
Stakeholders
- Board of Governors
- School Administration comprising:
- Principals.
- Senior Teacher/s
- Head Boy / Senior Prefect
- Senior School Representative
- Junior School Representative
- MBHS OBA Freetown
- MBHS OBA UK
- MBHS USA Branch comprising:
- MBHS OBA Washington DC Metro Chapter
- MBHS OBA Georgia chapter
- MBHS OBA New York/New Jersey chapter
- Government of Sierra Leone – Ministry of Education ,Science and Technology
- The Sierra Leone Methodist Church Conference
- Individual ex-pupils worldwide
The School
The Methodist Boys’ High School (then Wesleyan Methodist Boys’ High School) was born on the 6th of April 1874 under the leadership of Rev. Joseph Claudius May as the first Principal. The founder was the Rev. Benjamin Tregaskis.
Rev. May was born at Charles Street in Freetown, Sierra Leone, on the l4th of August 1845 to the late Rev. Joseph May and Mrs. Annie May.
In 1865 he sailed abroad to further his education at the Boroughs Road College in London – his father’s alma mater. Eighteen months later he qualified as an Educator, and went on to Queen’s College, Taunton, where he did some university work. While he was studying in England, The possibility of establishing a denominational school was being discussed by the Sierra Leone District of Wesleyan Methodist Society, under the General Superintendence of the Rev. Benjamin Tregaskis He realized that there was a great need for a “high class” school to benefit the Methodist youth’s of the community. Rev. Tregaskis communicated his views on this subject to the Methodist Missionary authorities at Bishops Gate Street, London.
He earnestly expressed his views as follows: “‘The people of Sierra Leone must be educated. They are desirous to have education and must have it at any cost. You may sooner think of closing your chapels than of extending religion in the settlement without education.” With the approval of the Missionary Committee a property at the King Tom area was sold, and with the authority of the same committee a house at Falcon-bridge Battery was bought by Rev. Tregaskis on the 21st of December l87l .
At about that same time, Rev. Tregaskis encouraged Mr. May to return to Freetown from London with a promise of becoming a future teacher at the proposed secondary school.
At seven o’clock on Monday morning the 6’h of April 1874, the Wesleyan Methodist Boys High School was born at the Falcon-bridge Battery facility in Freetown, with eight foundation pupils. Proceedings began with the Rev. Tregaskis reading the eighth chapter of the Book of Proverbs followed by a fervent prayer- He then gave a kind and instructive address to eight pupils, urging then to diligence and perseverance. He bade them to be true to their God, their race and their country. Twenty-four hours later he left the shores of Sierra Leone for his home in England – his mission was accomplished!
Rather than a teacher, he had appointed Mr. May, Principal of the newly found school – The Wesleyan Methodist Boys’ High School. The school adopted a British-structured style of education. Mr. May remained in his office for twenty-eight years until his death on September 4th. 1902.
This institution of higher learning has been relocated a few times, during which it has produced many distinguished and responsible men and women in societies and organisations sprinkled all over the world. Today, the facility is located in Kissy Mess Mess, in the east end of Freetown. It is currently divided-up into Intermediate and Senior schools.
