MR. SAMUEL AKI ¬ (Proprietor of Fountain School)
Academic Qualifications
B.A (Hons) History, University of Lagos (1980)
M.A. History Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. (1988)
P.G.D.E University of Nigeria, Nsukka (1992)
Samuel Aki joined the staff of Federal Ministry of Education in August 1981 and had teaching posting to;
1 Federal college of Education, Katsina 1981-1987
2 Federal Govt Girls College, Gusau, 1987-1990
3 Federal Govt College, Enugu 1990-1994
By June 1994 he had rounded up his teaching service in Nigeria and voluntarily retired as Principal Education Officer.
By the second half of 1994 Mr. Aki was already in Mozambique seeking a teaching post in Maputo International School. When that effort came to nought he spent the later part of 1994 studying at Eschol Gutenberg in Alto Mae, Maputo. But it soon became clear that he had circumscribed chances of a job in a Portuguese speaking Mozambique. He therefore looked toward the kingdom of Swaziland.

By 1995 he got a teaching post at the University of Swaziland. It was here that he got in touch with a reading expert who influenced him to develop interest in the teaching of reading, a skill he used to advantage in later years. He eventually attended as an observer the conference of the international reading association in Pretoria in 1999.
Meanwhile in 1995 the post of literacy trainer became available in Nethworc Acornhoek, a project of the University of the Witwatersrand. Mr Aki was shortlisted and he came before a panel that hardly veiled its respect for his credentials. But securing that job became protracted and he was tied down in South Africa for a long time without a job. He later came to see that he was struggling against a strong tide of racism.
By 1996 however he had obtained a legal permit to work in the republic of South Africa. He therefore secured a teaching post at WEM School in kabokweni. It was at this point that his family joined him and post became available at WEM School for his wife.
This was at a time South Africa was adopting a more practical forward looking learner-centered educational system which viewed the teacher merely as a facilitator. Mr Aki got completely absorbed into this system. He attended several training workshops. But he benefitted especially from the outreach training programme at Penryn College in Nelspruit. Lessons in child psychology were particularly exciting to him and he vowed to remain in the field for life.
By 1998 it had become imperative for Mr.Aki to open a private school. First he registered a close corporation-Fountain school close corporation of which he and his wife were the sole Directors. Then as a branch of this corporation he opened Fountain pre-school (English Medium) Mshadza near White River. The first generation admission into this pre-school became a test case for Mr Aki. His training in Reading and child psychology became great assets with which he taught them so well and made such an imprint on the children that fountain school became a household word everywhere around. Mshadza people therefore nudged him to upgrade to primary school and offered him property hitherto meant for a clinic as site for the school.
This was like the spark that produced a conflagration as registration of children climbed beyond anybody’s expectation for a new school. A big job had suddenly become available. A Governing committee was formed to give support so that Mr Aki could confine himself to academic and administrative leadership. Mechanisms were planted to ensure early reading and numeracy competence and these impressed parents all the more. Immense assistance came from Uplands College in white river as pundits like Bronwyn Hogan became personally involved in further training of fountain school staff. Howbeit, Mr.Aki’s work permit expired in the year 2000 just after he got fountain school set for accreditation. He stepped aside and handed over the assets and liabilities of school to Mr. E. W. Nyathikazi and returned to Nigeria in June 2000. The South African dept. Of Education however accredited Mshadza fountain school in February 2001.
By September 2000 Mr Aki had begun a fresh endeavour as he opened fountain nursery and primary school in phase 3 Jikwoyi, Abuja. Most of the children who turned up for admission could not read. They also had very limited competence in mathematics and other areas. Mr Aki made a very big issue of their inability to read and strongly sensitized parents to this. The moment he convincingly delivered on his promise assist the children, it became a matter of Mshadza fountain school history repeating itself.
This time it become necessary to run two campuses of fountain school as it is at the moment. Mr Aki himself affirms that he has always been blessed with school parents who are highly appreciative and encouraging. Each child of fountain school shines academically as a star and attracts other children from the neighbourhood to the school.
Mr. Aki himself has worked diligently to raise the standard of fountain school to the admiration of everyone. Documentation is detailed and teaching guidelines are meticulously followed. Successive inspectors from the Department of policy and Implementation (DPI) have greatly assisted.
Of course, school is never owned by a single individual. It is to the credit of all who are involved that just as fountain school, Mshadza has been accredited by the South African Department of Education, so also Fountain Nursery and Primary School Jikwoyi has been granted full accreditation in FCT.