Albert Academy

The Albert Academy (AA) is a secondary school in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

Albert Academy
Location
Freetown

Sierra Leone
Information
TypePublicschool
MottoEsse Quam Videri (Rather to be, than to seem)
Religious affiliation(s)United Methodist Church
Established1904
FounderIra Albert
Head teacherMorie J Aruna(principal)
GenderBoys and girls until the 6334 system (but girls were only accepted into the "A" level program)
Age12 to 19
Websitehttp://www.albertacademy.org/index.php
Albert Academy logo

The school's motto is Esse Quam Vederi (Rather to be than to Seem). It is situated at Berry Street in Freetown. Among its alumni are Sierra Leone's first Prime Minister, Sir Milton Margai and Sierra Leone's first president, Siaka Stevens and Chernor Bah.

The school is sometimes referred to as Mende Man College reflecting the fact that over the years students from the Mende tribe in Sierra Leone were overrepresented. AA students have also been referred to as Okamory Boys due to the area in which the school is located in Freetown. However, the school has students from everywhere in Sierra Leone and it is not restricted to any tribe.

Although the school has a Christian tradition, the United Methodist Church, students from all religious background can attend. It has alumni associations in the UK, USA and Freetown. The alumni associations make contributions to the school including, for example, giving scholarships and grants to students.

History

A girls' school had been established in the British colony of Sierra Leone in Moyamba in 1900,[1] and it was decided to establish a similar boys' school.[2] The UBC mission was responsible for finding land for the school, and originally proposed locating it in Shenge, the home of missionary Ira Albert.[3] Eventually, however, the board decided that Shenge was too small, so they established the school in the colony's capital at Freetown.[3]

The Albert Academy was founded on 4 October 1904, and was named after Ira Albert, who had recently been killed in a boating accident.[4] When the academy was founded, it had just one teacher, a Mr L Turner, and four pupils.[4] The first principal was Reverend Raymond P. Dougherty, with Edwin Hursh as vice principal.[3] The original location was in Freetown's East Street.[4]

In 1907, the academy relocated to its present location on Berry Street.[4]

Notable alumni
  • Sir Milton Margai, lead Sierra Leone to independence and became prime minister from 1961-1964
  • Siaka Stevens, First Executive President
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References
  1. Caulker-Burnett 2010, p. 75.
  2. Caulker-Burnett 2010, p. 76.
  3. Caulker-Burnett 2010, p. 77.
  4. Albert Academy. "A brief history of the school by Philip Johnson". Retrieved 7 November 2016.


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