[Forwards] Forward By The Secretary General United Nations "The Persistence of Paradox"

The essence of education lies in allowing an individual to discover himself, and to recognize not only the strength he possessed, but also the infirmities that inhibit them and which are in his power to remedy. Education can also infuse us with the wisdom to gaze beyond the confines of self-interest and see the common good that transcends our immediate needs and concerns.

I feel fortunate and proud to have process of self-realisation under the guidance of Francis Bartels, the headmaster of Mfamtsipim School in Cape Coast. In 1954, I was one of a group of boys who sat on the floor of his office for our weekly lessons in Spoken English. Of course, as happens in many language classes, our discussions ranged far beyond questions of vocabulary and grammar.

 

Indeed, Headmaster Bartels encouraged all of us to open our eyes, speak our minds and engage with the issues of the day and the world at large. This was very much in tune with the school’s motto: Dwin Hum Kan, Akan language for think and plan ahead.”  Ghana  during the independence struggle was an especially rich stage on which to gaze, and my memories are of an exciting, eye-opening, formative period in my life – not least because the struggle succeeded.

 

On one occasion – and I know Francis tells his version of this story elsewhere in this book – he put a broad sheet of white paper in the wall, with a little black dot in the right-hand corner, and asked, “boys, what do you see?” We all shouted in unison, “A black dot”. He stepped back and said, “so, not a single of you saw the broad white sheet of paper. You only saw the black dot. This is the awful thing about human nature. People never see the goodness of things and the broader picture. Don’t go through life with that attitude. “I have never forgotten that lesson.

 

Each day takes me a little further on the road Headmaster Bartels helped to pave – for me and for so many others among us. In that spirit of gratitude, I commend this book, and its account of his varied experiences, to the widest possible partnership.

 

Kofi A. Annan

The Secretary General

United Nations

Source: Kofi A. Annan