Accra High School

History

Accra High School was founded by the late Rev. James Thomas Roberts on 17 August 1923. The school, was located at beach avenue in Aayalolo, a suburb of Accra, Ghana. The school celebrated its first anniversary in August 1924 with a church service at the Holy Trinity Cathedral, Accra and the sermon was delivered by the Anglican Bishop of Accra, the late Dr. John Aglionby. Thus, there was a tie between the school and the Church of England. In 1924, the school entered its first candidates for the college of preceptors as well as for the Cambridge University, the royal society of Arts and Pitman`s Shorthand Examinations in the United Kingdom. In 1926, most of the pupils sat and passed the junior Cambridge Examination. In that year, Mr. Frank Roberts, the eldest son of Rev. Roberts, joined the staff after graduating in Bachelor of Arts from the United Kingdom. He worked hard to enhance the Academic and Disciplinary standard of the school in Accra. In 1927, the late J.O. Ansah Johnson became the first student to pass the Cambridge School Certificate Examination.

In 1931, members of staff and students performed Shakespeare's Twelfth Night with tremendous success and this was followed in 1932 with further excellent performances. Before the founding of Accra High School, the only Secondary Grammar School in Accra, the Accra grammar school, had closed down. However Rev. Roberts had massive support of some men of the highest intellectual and moral calibre. Most of these scholars were Lawyers, Doctors, Civil servants and merchants who had their University education in the United Kingdom. So the school continued to excel successes in its educational effort. 1952 Accra High School was granted official recognition by the Government and became a Government Public School.

In the year (1952), Rev. Roberts retired at the age of 81. The mantle of headship then fell on Mr. W.S. Conton who ran the school from 1952 to 1956. Mr. Conton was succeeded by Mr. P.O. Sanful, Snr. who ran the school from 1956 to 1966. It was during the headship of Mr. Sanful that Rev. Roberts, the founder and retired Headmaster, died on 5 September 1964, at the age of 94. Accra High school grew from strength to strength and by 1964, the school had expanded from a two-stream to a three-stream school and the enrolment had doubled from 300 to 600 with a teaching staff of 27. A 9 hectare plot of land had been acquired by Government of Ghana for a new Building at North Ridge near the West African Examinations Council and the German Embassy in Accra.

By September 1967 the school was relocated when a fifteen-unit classroom block was completed together with a two-storey science block. 1967, Mr. A.N.B Andrews, had then taken over from Mr. Sanful Snr. as headmaster. Mr. Andrews leadership saw further developments in infrastructure such as a ten-unit classroom block, a home science block, a technical block and an administration block, a library and a staff common room, a cafeteria and a students hostel to house the six form student preparing for their A-level examinations. All these were in place by the end of the 1976 academic year.

In October 1976, Mr. Andrews left the school on promotion to Ghana Education Service Headquarters as director for schools and colleges. His departure coincided with the grant of sixth form status to the school which he worked hard for. Mr. D.R. Essah who was the assistant headmaster acted for a year during the 1976-77 Academic year before handing over to Mr. P.O. Sanful, Jnr. As the substantive Head in September, 1977. Mr. Sanful ran the school until September, 1986. Mr Sanful did the pioneering work in Sixth Form Education and a Boarding School System at Accra High School. In January, 1987, Mr. E.B. Dogbe became the new Headmaster. He was a person full of discipline and Principles and kept his words. Punctuality was the oder of the day. He retired in November 1996 and handed over to Mr. Ben. Nikoi koteye as the substantive Headmaster, in whose term the school celebrated its 75th (Diamond Jubilee) with great pomp and gaiety. A monument was raised by the old students to commemorate the occasion.

Under his headship, the School achieved very remarkable academic results. There was cordiality among the staff and moral was also high among teacher and students. His period saw parents changing their attitude towards the welfare of their children, leading to a vibrant Parent Teacher Association which led subsequent Development in the school. He also saw the landscaping of the compound.

In April 1999 upon the retirement of Mr. Ben Koyeye, the mantle fell on Mrs. Sylvia Asempa, the first female to head the school. She continued the good works that her predecessors had set in motion. It was during her time that Accra Ring Road central with support from the Rotary foundation of Rotary International constructed a multi-purpose playing court on the reclaimed waterlogged triangle of the school. She was also the first bilingual Headteacher of Accra High School. She spoke fluent French hence the further development of the French as a foreign Language in the School. The P.T.A. Convected the basement of the existing school flat into two, two bedroom unit for staff occupation as well as the establishment of a 150 million computer laboratory for the school. It is worthy of note that some old students also contributed some of the facilities used in the computer lab. Mrs. Asempa was later transferred to Aburi Girls Secondary School to continue her excellent work.

Under the administration, the bust of the founder was erected on the fore court of the administration block. In March 2002, Accra High School was blessed with yet another dynamic headmaster in the person of Mr. E.A. Kissiedu. Although he has been head for a brief period, he has re-equipped the chemistry and the physics labs, paved the alley in front of the classroom complex, upgraded office equipment sourced new computers for the internet security and constructed of kerbs along the road from the gate to the quadrangle to prevent the perennial erosion. His interest in the promotion of sports has boosted the moral of sports in Boys and Girls in the school. Presently, the school runs five programmes, namely: general arts, general science, technical business and vocational. The school also houses a science resource centre, French centre bureau de co-ordination nationale des cref and a completed office complex for the Ghana Education Service Council.

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