Ama Kyerewaa Benefo makes history as first old-student Headmistress of St Louis SHS

A former student and Assistant Headmistress of St Louis SHS who is also a former Headmistress of Ejisuman SHS, Mrs. Ama Kyerewaa Benefo has been inducted into office as the new Headmistress of St Louis SHS.

Mrs. Kyerewa Benefo who is widely credited for exposing and punishing chronic ‘sexual misconduct’ between Ejisuman SHS teachers and students in her six-month as head of the school, is now expected to provide a new leadership and vision for St Louis SHS.

She will be the first old student of the school to occupy the office of Headmistress on the strong support of the powerful network of old girls of the school who want things to change for the better under her as she did when she was sent to Ejisuman SHS’ during their crisis.

The former Headmistress of St Louis SHS, Theresa Addai has been advised to stay off the scene by Old Students of the School while her “mess” is being cleared.

Mrs. Ama Kyerewa Benefo with the support of the Ghana Education Service (GES), the Catholic Arch Diocese and old students of the school is expected to transform the image of the school after years of bad press and steep decline.

The story of St Louis SHS began on the 18 October 1947, when the first St. Louis Sisters arrived in the country. They were to continue the running of an already-established elementary school, the St. Bernadette School, now popularly called ‘Roman Girls’. The St. Louis Sisters however decided to establish a new secondary school on the same compound.

In 1952, St. Louis Secondary was opened, with an initial group of 12 girls. Only a few out of this group survived to join the second group of 1953 to make 42. By December 1957, when the surviving group wrote their “O” Level Examination, they numbered 11.

The Catholic Church, who still maintain a strong control in the running of the school, placing a premium on the education of the girl child made St Louis a bastion of female education in Ghana.

The school has had three expatriate Headmistresses since its founding in 1952: Sr. M. Joannes Hayes 1952 – 1966; Sr. Mary Aideen Ryan 1966 – 1970; Sr. Marie du Rosaire Diver 1970 – 1981.

There have been four non-expatriates;

Madam Lydia Osei 1981 – 1995; Ms. Johanna C. Johnson 1995 – 2008; Ms. Theresa Addai 2008 – 2018 and now Ms. Ama Kyerewaa Benefo who is the first old student.