Ghana Month: What you didn't know about Accra Aca Boys, Ghana National and others

We still are looking at the background to some of our favourite schools in Ghana. Today we take a look at these 4.

Here we go;

Accra Academy:

Accra Academy, like its name suggests, is located in the heart of Accra at Bubuashie, near Kaneshie in the Greater Accra Region.

It is an all-boys’ day and boarding school established in July 1931, by four men; Dr. Kofi George Konuah, Mssrs. Narku Alema, James Acquaye Halm-Addo and Samuel Neils Awuletey who began its operations from a two-storey house.

Starting with 19 students, these men sought to, through the school, provide secondary education at a reasonable cost to young boys in Accra and its environs.

It was first established as a private secondary school and gained its status as a government institution after earning its reputation for excellent performance.

Accra Academy began as a day-school till it began accommodating students in a single storey-bulding; Claremont House later.

The School’s slogan is “Bleoo” whilst old students of the school are called “Bleoo Bi”.

It has its Motto as “Esse Quam Videri” a Latin phrase which means “To be rather than to seem’.

Accra Academy, usually shortened as “Accra Aca” has 8 houses; Alema, Awuletey, Ellen, Halm Addo, Nana Akuoko Sarpong, Peter Ala Adjetey, Nana Wereko Ampem, and Nana Awuah Darko Ampem.

Alumni of the school include Chris Attoh, Actor and Television personality, the late Ray Styles (Emmanuel Apraku) – Pencil Artist, KiDi, Musician, Bola Ray (Nathan Kwabena Adisi), TV Personality and CEO of EIB Network, Nana Akuoko Sarpon, Statesman, Ben Ephson, Pollster and Journalist, Francis Abban, Journalist, Israel Laryea, Journalist, Asamoah Gyan, and many others.

T.I Ahmadiyya:

T.I. Ahmadiyya is one of three secondary schools which sprang up in the Ashanti Region between 1948 and 1952.

Of the two, Prempeh College and Opoku Ware secondary schools, T.I. Ahmadiyya was the only Muslim school, founded by a Muslim organization; the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission in January, 1950.

At this time, regrettably, some Muslims had the idea that taking one’s child to the Whiteman’s school was the surest way for the said child to go to hell after death. To the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission, however, setting up Whiteman’s school was in line with the Holy Quran’s teaching about the acquisition of knowledge.

Some 77 years after, the first Pakistani Missionary of the Mission arrived at Saltpond, where their first primary school was founded.



The Mission borrowed two classrooms from its Primary School at Asafo, Kumasi near the Ropoks Café. In 1953, the school moved to its present site near the Kumasi Sports Stadium. Right from the beginning, the school threw its doors open to both sexes, to students of different ethnic groups, religion and nationality.

The issue of making Friday a holiday whilst Sunday was a working one, however, did not go down well with some of the non-Muslim teachers. It subsequently had to be tweaked. Friday became a working day but with fewer periods whereas Sunday is an off-day for all, and Christian students are allowed to worship outside the school.

T.I. Ahmadiyya Senior High School is now popularly known as Amass and Amass Phobia.

The T.I in the school’s name stands for Talimul Islam, an Arabic phrase which means “The Teachings of Islam”.

The school’s motto is “Knowledge is Power”.

Notable Alumni include; Abdul Wahab Adam – National President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission, Blakk Rasta, Raggae musician and radio presenter, Strongman Burner, Musician, Mohammed Ahmed Alhassan, former Inspector General of Police among others.

Ghana National College:

The Ghana National College stemmed from some agitations leading to Ghana’s independence. It is located in Cape Coast in the Central Region of Ghana and was established in July 1948.



It is a mixed school that was established 9 years before Ghana gained its independence from British Colonial masters and was named “Ghana National College”, with the nickname; “Osagyefo’s own school”.

After some ex-servicemen were shot at Christiansburg Castle, Dr Kwame Nkrumah and his associates known as the Big Six were arrested.

Some students subsequently protested in solidarity with them after their arrests and were expelled from some second-cycle institutions including St. Augustine’s and Mfantsipim. The teachers included; Mr Kwesi Plange, Mr J.J. Mensah-Kane, Mr H.P. Nelson and Mr H.W.K. Sackeyfio (Mfantsipim).

Nkrumah subsequently met with these expelled persons to plan towards the establishment of a new school and that led to the birth of the school.

It was first established at McCarthy Hill in CapeCoast, moved to Siwdu and then in September 1960, it was moved to its present location at ‘Mennya Mennwu”.

Ghana National SHS’ school motto is “Pro Patria” which means “For one’s country”. Students of the school are called Nananom and old Students prefix their names with Nana.

The school has 8 houses for girls and 4 for the boys.

The Girls houses include; Charlotte Bart-Plange, Faustina Daniels, Elsie Dadzie, Twidan Royal, Elizabeth Ward-Brew, and three new houses.

Some of the boys’ houses include the Afadu house which nicknamed the royals, Wardbury house among others.

Some notable Alumni include: Nana Aba Anamoah, media personality and journalist, Diana Hamilton, Musician, Professor Jophus Anamuah Mensah, a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Education, Prof. Francis Allottey, world-renowned scientist and former Vice Chancellor of KNUST, former Chairman of the Electoral Commission, Mrs Charlotte Osei, Abeiku Santana, radio and TV personality, among others.

Mawuli Senior High School:

Mawuli Senior High School is located at Ho in the Volta Region of Ghana and was established by the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in 1950. It was to be the first school of that level to open in what was then the Trust Territory of British Togoland. It began at the old Bremen Mission House at Ho-Kpodzi.

It was first headed by Prof. Walter P. Trost, who received an airmail letter from Rev. Baeta; a missionary in Africa, with a request to establish a secondary school in Ho.

It is a mixed school which began with 35 students and 2 teachers.

The name MAWULI was chosen by the first batch of students, and so was the motto; “Head, Hand and Heart”.

It was the first Senior High School to have double bunk beds in Ghana.

It is the first senior high school to have a farm which produced to feed students.

It has 10 houses; Wilberforce-Priscilla House, Lincoln-Slessor House, Aggrey-Nightingale House, Trost-Snitker House, Aku-Solace House, Jubilee House, Gala House, Girls New Block and Girls Old Block among others.

Old Students of the School are called OMSU – Old Mawuli Students Union

It is the biggest school in the Volta Region. It also accommodates and accepts Visually-Impaired students who have their own well-furnished center in the school.