Ghana's secondary education system has a rich history, with some of the country's oldest senior high schools established during the colonial era. These schools have educated generations of Ghanaians and represent different stages in the development of secondary education in Ghana. From missionary schools in Cape Coast to early technical and private institutions in Accra, these schools have played a significant role in shaping the country's educational landscape.
Mfantsipim School, established on April 3, 1876, by the Methodist Church in Cape Coast, is recognised as Ghana's first secondary school. It began as the Wesleyan High School with 17 students and later went through several name changes before becoming Mfantsipim School. The school has a long history of academic excellence and has produced many notable alumni.
Wesley Girls' High School in Cape Coast traces its origins to 1836, when Mrs Harriet Wrigley started a school for girls. The school's secondary section was established in 1884 by Rev. W.M. Cannell, then headmaster of Mfantsipim School, with 20 girls. The secondary and primary sections operated together for many years before the secondary division was eventually moved to its present site.
Ghana Secondary Technical School (GSTS) was founded on August 9, 1909, in Accra as the Accra Technical School. It initially offered three-year courses in woodwork and metalwork to train artisans for the Gold Coast's growing infrastructure needs. The school moved to Takoradi in 1939 and later became Government Secondary Technical School before adopting the name Ghana Secondary Technical School.
Adisadel College, founded on January 4, 1910, in Cape Coast by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, is another old secondary school in Ghana. It was originally called the S.P.G. Grammar School and later became St Nicholas' Grammar School before taking the name Adisadel College. The school identifies itself as the second-oldest secondary school in Ghana, after Mfantsipim.
Other old secondary schools in Ghana include Accra High School, founded on August 17, 1923, by Rev. James Thomas Roberts, and O'Reilly Senior High School, established in August 1925 by Rev. Ezekiel Festus O'Reilly, a Sierra Leonean Anglican priest. Achimota School, established in 1927 as the Prince of Wales College and School, was developed under the leadership of Governor Sir Frederick Gordon Guggisberg, Rev. Alec Garden Fraser and Dr James Kwegyir Aggrey.
The list of Ghana's 10 oldest senior high schools also includes Krobo Girls' Senior High School, founded in March 1927 by Scottish missionaries, St. Augustine's College, established in 1930 at Amissano near Elmina as a Catholic institution, and Accra Academy, founded on July 20, 1931, by Kofi George Konuah, Samuel Neils Awuletey, Gottfried Narku Alema and James Akwei Halm-Addo. These schools have played a significant role in shaping the educational landscape of Ghana.
Key points
- Mfantsipim School is recognised as Ghana's first secondary school, established on April 3, 1876.
- Wesley Girls' High School traces its origins to 1836, when Mrs Harriet Wrigley started a school for girls.
- The schools represent different stages in the development of secondary education in Ghana, from Mfantsipim's establishment in 1876 to Accra Academy's founding in 1931.
