Ghana National College

Ghana National College

School crest
Pro Patria
Location
Cape Coast, Menyamawu Hills
GhanaGhana
Information
School type Government funded, Co-educational boarding/ Residential
Established 20 July 1948 (1948-07-20)
Founder Kwame Nkrumah
Status Active
Category A
Authorizer Ministry of Education (Ghana)
Headmaster Mrs Juliana Owusu-Ansah
Faculty 5
Grades Form 1 (10th grade) – Form 3 (12th grade)
Gender Co-ed (Boys/Girls)
Age 12 to 18
Enrollment 1300
Language English
Campus Suburban
Houses 4 Male, 8 Female
Color(s) Red,Yellow and Green
School color(s) Maroon, green and cream
              
Mascot Nana
Nickname Nashnal
Accreditation Ghana Education Service
National ranking Top 20
Yearbook Nananom magazine
Affiliation None
Alumni Ghana National Past Students Association (NANANOM)
School anthem The Joys of Ghanacoll
Website www.ghananationalcollege.org

Ghana National College is a senior high school in Cape Coast, Ghana. It is rated as one of the country's top schools.[1]

Overview

It was founded on 20 July 1948, staffed by dismissed teachers from St Augustine's College and Mfantsipim School.[2] The college was founded by the first Ghanaian President Kwame Nkrumah using his own funds, for eight students who had been expelled by the British colonial administration from St Augustine's College. The expulsion resulted from a protest march, held in solidarity with Nkrumah, who was then imprisoned.[3] Ghana National College was established on Friday, 16 July 1948, in Cape Coast, during a period of agitation for self-government in the then Gold Coast. Ironically it was named Ghana National College nine years before The Gold Coast achieved independence in 1957, and the country was named Ghana.

Time line on the historical development of the school

28 February 1948 Tragedy at Christiansborg Castle and the shooting of ex-servicemen from the war for demonstrating for benefits blamed on Kwame Nkrumah for his radical tendencies and subsequently detained with six of his cohorts, Dr J. B. Danquah, Mr Edward Akufo-Addo, Mr William Ofori Atta, Mr Emmanuel Obetsebi-Lamptey, and Mr Ebenezer Ako-Adjei.

15 March 1948 Student protests in Cape Coast, in solidarity with the detained UGCC executives, result in the expulsion of 150 students from St Augustine's College and Mfantsipim School on the recommendation of the Quashie-Idun Commission charged with investigation into the student unrest. The appointments of four teachers, three from St. Augustine's College and one from Mfantsipim School, are also revoked. The teachers are Mr Kwesi Plange, Mr J. J. Mensah-Kane, Mr H. P. Nelson and Mr H. W. K. Sackeyfio (Mfantsipim).

1 July 1948 Kwame Nkrumah, Secretary of the UGCC invites the above-mentioned teachers to his office in Saltpond and commissions Kojo Botsio to evaluate plans for starting a new school.

8 July 1948 Kwame Nkrumah donates 10 pounds towards starting the school. With this, the teachers make benches, desks, blackboards buy writing tools and rent space on the ground floor of the Old Temple House of the Grand United order of ODD Fellows at McCarthy Hill, Cape Coast.

16 July 1948 Sixteen boys and one girl are enrolled as the first students of the school for the first official lessons at MacCarthy Hill, Cape Coast. They will later become prominent notables in Ghanaian society, among them:

19 July 1948 First formal lesson starts at MacCarthy Hill - Dr Nkrumah's inaugural address states: "...in spite of the humble conditions under which we have started, I bring you a message of Hope and Inspiration. I bid you shake hands with your fellow students and teachers over your study table and over the blackboards. I look forward to the time when there will be a chain of Ghana Colleges in all of the four territories which make up the Gold Coast leading to the founding of a very high institution in this country. In the name of the people of the Gold Coast, In the name of Humanity and in the name of the Almighty God, I bid you speed forward till we realise a free and United Gold Coast and a United Africa."

22 November 1948 The school moves into a more spacious location for eight boys at Siwdu owned by Alhaji Ali Baba, a businessman in Cape Coast. Mrs Faustina Daniels houses the girls in her coronation street hostel. She will later become a member of the board of governors from 1951 to 1972.

Early in 1949 Charlotte Bart Plange, mother of Kwesi Plange, offers her sitting-room for use as an office and conference room. She will later become a member of the board of governors from 1951 to 1972. Classes are also held in the bedroom of the Temple-keeper. Michael Ato Wood composes the school hymn, "God Bless our Native Land".

August 1952 J. J. Mensah-Kane becomes headmaster of the school, assisted by H. P. Nelson.

September 1952 J. J. Mensah-Kane and H. P. Nelson both leave for the UK for further studies as educators.

August 1956 The Governor-General of the Gold Coast Visits the school at Siwdu with good news from the Prime Minister that the Ghana Education Trust has been instructed to provide permanent buildings for the school. Land is provided by the Afadu-Abadzi and the Ama Takyiwa Twidan families of Amanful, Cape Coast.

1 January 1957 Mrs Elizabeth Ward-Brew offers her vacant residential complex at Wardbury Gardens at Kakumdo to house the boys.

6 March 1957 Dr Kwame Nkrumah becomes the Prime Minister of Ghana.

May 1957 All girls are moved to join the boys at Warbury Gardens and Miss Stella Maysel, first female teacher is appointed as Housemistress to relieve Miss Adelina Bessa-Simons, the school's matron.

October 1957 J. J. Mendah-Kane returns from the UK to join the staff at the school teaching zoology at Siwdu.

1956–60 Construction of the new school buildings:

September 1960 J. J. Mensah-kane is appointed Assistant Headmaster and oversees moving the school from Siwdu to Mennya Mennwu (literally means "I didn't die after all").

September 1961 J. J. Mensah-Kane is appointed Headmaster.

July 1979 J. J. Mensah-Kane retires and will pass the baton to Mr S. E. Cobbold.

New House 1 is best girls house in the school Cinderella Newton

October 1987 Mr John Gyemfi, one of the students who moved in from Siwdu, took leadership.

September 1991 Mr Nuama-Hagan, an alumnus, becomes headmaster.

Notable alumni

In 2014 the College created a Hall of Fame to honor alumni. The first inductees were Francis Allotey, Samuel Sefa-Dedeh, Jophus Anamuah-Mensah, Anthony Annan-Prah, David Taylor, Lee Tandoh-Ocran and Kobby A. Koomson.[5] Other notable alumni include:

References

  1. ↑ Coe, Cati (2005). Dilemmas of Culture in African Schools: Youth, Nationalism, and the Transformation of Knowledge. University of Chicago Press. p. 208. ISBN 0-226-11129-6.
  2. ↑ Hon. Lee Ocran, Member of Parliament for Jomoro in an address to the Parliament of Ghana, 26 February 2007.
  3. ↑ "Ghana: Nkrumah's school to exhibit his scholarly works". African Press Agency. 15 July 2007. Retrieved 2007-01-23.
  4. ↑ "Professor Francis Kofi Ampenyi". ghanaweb.com. Retrieved 2007-01-23.
  5. ↑ "Ghanacoll's 66th anniversary: North America Chapter ups the ante". Daily Graphic. 14 July 2014.

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