Amosa Home Page
Aggrey School
Aggrey School
 

 

 

 

 

Home

 

Facilities Dormitories Academics Science Assembly Hall/Chapel Extra-curricular Board of Governors Projections School Address/Phone Numbers

Aggrey Memorial A.M.E. Zion Secondary School was founded on 22nd January, 1940 by the late Rev. Dr. A. W. E. Appiah with six boys. He named the school Aggrey Memorial College after his late Uncle Dr. J. E. Kwegyir Aggrey*. His aim was to perpetuate the memory of his uncle by means of an institution, which would give young boys and girls adequate secondary education which would fit them into higher fields of learning. The School is thus a living tribute to that great son of Africa - - Dr. Kwegyir Aggrey.

During the first few years, the school occupied, successively, buildings in the heart of Cape Coast township, in the Central Region of Ghana. The first home was "Tandon Kuma", House Number 39, Jukwa Road which also serve as the Headmaster’s residence. The rent was two pounds (£2) five shillings (5sh) a month. In April, 1940, with an enrolment of ten boys. The school moved to "Bucknor Villa" with rent of two pounds a month. Due to unhealthy conditions, the school moved to yet another house rented by a football team. This was on 1st November. The rent this time was six shillings, and there were 20 boys – nine of them were in the preparatory class.

The School went on the first Christmas holidays on 10th December, 1940 and resumed on 21st January, 1941 to meet another misfortune. Just a day to the re-opening, the football team decided not to share the premises with them. The second year was therefore started in the Headmaster’s residence in House Number 40 on Royal Lane with nine boys which later decreased to five in the second term.

Dark ominous clouds gathered but the school stood firm. The year 1942 ended with the school well shaken and battered but the founder was undaunted. On 8th February, 1943, the school moved to a new house (No. C50/1, Commissioner Road) owing to the growing number of students. The rent was three pounds, five shillings per month. The founder established the primary and intermediary section of the school in this year to buttress the Secondary Department.

On 1st October, 1943, with an enrolment well beyond two hundred students, the top section of the school (i.e. Standard 3, Intermediate and Secondary Department) moved to the sixth home of the school at Old Swanzy Factory at No.1 Royal Lane, which belonged to the United African Company (UAC).

Up to this time, the headmaster was the only member of staff. In January, 1944, however, Mr. Henry Abaidoo-Brew was appointed the first Assistant Headmaster of the school. The late Mr. Kofi Bentsi-Enchill, a Cape Coast merchant, very generously offered to pay his salary and the rent for the premises.

In 1945, a Board of Trustees and Management known as the "Aggrey Society" was formed and the school’s management came under this Board. Members of the Board were Mr. Kofi Bentsi-Enchill (Chairman), Dr. J. W. de Graft-Johnson, Mr. W. W. O.. Lindsay, Mr. J. Magnus Sampson, Mr. S. S. Wood and Chief Kweku Egyir Gyepi, II. The Secondary Department was separated from the Primary Department in February, 1946. Within this period that the school managed to be in existence, students were attracted from all places including particularly those who had been to other schools before but wished to improve their grades.

In 1947, the African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Zion Church took over the realm of affairs of the school as a result of agreement between the "Aggrey Society" and the A.M.E. Zion Mission. The name of the school was then changed from "Aggrey Memorial College" to Aggrey Memorial A.M.E. Zion Secondary School", and the first two boarders were also admitted. That year, the founder also enrolled his own fresh students. They were six boys who were later presented for the Cambridge School Certificate Examination (CSCE) in 1950. All of them passed with one achieving exemption from London Matriculation.

The School moved in October, 1948 to a three-storey building on the premises of the old Cape Coast. Post Office near Cape Coast Castle. The School occupied this building known as "Old Russell" from 1948 to 1958. In 1958, the A.M.E. Zion Church acquired a 43-acre land, released as a Deed of Gift by the then Nana Attobra of the Nsona Stool Family of Brafo Yaw, to the school.

In 1952, the school entered an important landmark; the A.M.E. Zion Church commenced the building of the first block on the site. The school was recognized as "Encouraged Secondary School" in receipt of Government grant in aid. A new beginning was made in that year and since that time the story of Aggrey Memorial A.M.E. Zion Secondary School has been one of steady progress and improvement. The number of students increased.

After eighteen years in temporary premises, the school moved to its present site at Brafo Yaw, Cape Coast in January, 1958. Girls in the boarding house were however housed in Cape Coast township on premises formerly occupied by the "Prospect Printing Press". On 21st January, 1966 the girls moved into their new dormitory block across the boys from the Accra-Takoradi road at Brafo Yaw.

Facilities

Dormitories

Currently, there are four male houses namely:- Watson, Enchill, Pinanko and Casely Hayford, and three female houses namely: Annie Lucille, Segbefia and Katherine Aikins, in the boarding department of the school. The houses were named after the following people:

  1. Bishop Watson through whom the A.M.E. Zion Church acquired the school from the "Aggrey Society"
  2. Mr. Kofi Bentsi-Enchill whose financial support enabled the school to battle with and weather terrific storms in the early years
  3. Rev. Dr. Osam Pinanko who started the A.M.E. Zion Church in Cape Coast in 1903
  4. Mr. J. E. Casely-Hayford, a renowned educationist
  5. Mrs. Annie Lucille Alleyne, the wife of the Rt. Rev. Bishop Alleyne, for her interest in girls education in Africa and for her substantial contribution towards the construction of the school’s first block which started in 1952.
  6. Mrs. Juliana Segbefia, the first housekeeper for her motherly affection for the girls in Cape Coast town
  7. Katherine Aikins, a student for her memory. Her tragic death occurred in the school in 1970 when she was crossing the Accra-Takoradi road after choir practice, to the girls’ dormitories.

Go to Top

Science

The first Science Block was dedicated on 3rd March, 1957. It was a gift from the Barclays Bank D.C.O. to commemorate Ghana’s attainment of Independence. The second Science Block was built by the Ghana Government, part of which is currently being used as a Science Resources Centre, serving students of three other Senior Secondary Schools in the Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese District.

Go to Top

Administration

The present Administration Block was completed in 1972. It houses administrative offices, the school library and the staff common room.

New Assembly Hall/Chapel

The Full Gospel A.M.E. Zion Church of Temple Hills, Maryland in the U.S.A., under Pastor, Rev. Dr. John A. Cherry, funded the construction of the ultra-modern Chapel/Assembly Hall Complex with a seating capacity of 2,000 for the school. This project, valued at US$900,000.00, was started in November, 1995 and completed in February, 1998. His Lordship Bishop Matthew Warren Brown, the Bishop of the Western West African Episcopal District of the A.M.E. Zion Church dedicated and named the Complex, "Full Gospel A.M.E. Zion Chapel/Assembly Hall in June, 1997. At the dedication ceremony, the keys of the Assembly Hall were ultimately handed over to the then headmaster, Mr. Clement Bernasco Pobee.

The school’s dining hall, which was initially constructed to cater for 450 students in 1960, has been renovated and expanded over a period of time to cater for 1,500 students.

Go to Top

Academics

The academic performance of students has always been high compared to that of sister schools. The Ordinary and Advanced Level (‘O’ and ‘A’ Level) programmes were respectively phased out in 1994 and 1996 when the government of Ghana introduced the new "Educational Reform Programme" started in 1999. The school currently offers four of five programs that the new system addresses:

  • Agricultural Science;

  • Business

  • Vocational (Home Economics and Visual Arts)

  • General (Arts and Science).

The only programme that the school does not offer is Technical Programme.

….Excellence

In 1997, the Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations conducted by the West Africa Examinations Council, Aggrey Memorial Zion Secondary School was one of the schools honoured by the Council for academic excellence. The school produced the best Agricultural Science Student in this examination.

The school’s popularity in academics and other disciplines has grown year by year and this gives credence to the vision of the founder to provide secondary education the young boys and girls for the development of Ghana and the world at large.

The school has turned out 10,005 individuals made up of 6,337 boys and 3,668 girls majority of whom are in responsible positions.

Go to Top

Extra-curricular

The school has been excelling in sporting activities. It has been achieving laurels in football, table tennis, hockey, volleyball, basket ball and athletics events.

The Societies/Clubs in the school are:

  • Drama

  • Creative Writers

  • Science and Mathematics

  • Historical

  • Geographical

  • Green Earth

  • Child Survival and Development

  • Cadet Corps

  • Scripture Union

  • Population

The student population as at June, 1999 stood at 2,429, the largest in the country. The school has 84 teaching and 62 non-teaching staff at post.

Go to Top

Headmasters

The current headmaster, Mr. Kwesi Appiah-Danquah (Class of 1969) has been at post since 1st January. His assistants are:

  • Miss Sarah Abbew (Administration);

  • Mr. Archibald Kobina Fuah (Academic).

The past headmasters are:

  • Rev. Dr. A. W. E. Appiah (Founder) - 1940 – 1952

  • Mr. Emmanuel Godwyll Biney - 1952 – 1979

  • Mr. Pascal Kodwo Dadzie Godwyll - 1973 – 1986

  • Mr. Clement Bernasco Pobee - 1986 – 1998

Go to Top

Board of Governors

The Board of Governors comprises representatives from:

  • the A.M.E. Zion Church

  • Aggrey Memorial Old Students Association (AMOSA)

  • the Parent Teacher Association (PTA)

  • the Ghana Education Service (GES).

  • The Bishop of the Western West Africa Episcopal District, A.M.E. Zion Church is the permanent Chairman of the Board of Governors. Rev. Dr. Godfred Zormelo, the Senior Bishop’s Deputy of the A.M.E. Zion Church, deputizes for the Bishop as Chairman of the Board.

Other Board members are:

  • Rev. (Mrs.) Dorothy Dennis

  • Mr. Kofi Amissah

  • Nana Baa VII

  • Mr. Ben Baisie

  • Mr. J. K. Korsah (Staff representative)

  • Miss Dorothy Mensah, Regional Director’s representative

  • Mrs. Kafui Fiakpornu (District Director of Education)

  • Mr. Kwesi Appiah Danquah, headmaster

  • Mr. Archie Kobina Fuah (Secretary).

The co-opted members are:

  • Mr. J. K. Ampiah

  • Mr. Charles Dontoh (AMOSA representative)

  • Mr. Robert Arthur

  • Mr. Robert K. Wilson.

  • Although the school is nearer Cape Coast, it is located on "Asebu Land" and is therefore within the Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese District.

Go to Top

Projections

 

  • The school administration intends to build more staff bungalows, dormitories and classrooms to meet the needs of the growing school population.

  • Also, a modern computer canter to provide literacy and internet library for all students and to enhance academic work is to be established.

  • The school administration hopes to build a bigger school library and school clinic to cater for the interest of students.

Support for these numerous projects are most welcomed from all well-meaning donors. Any assistance or donation may be channeled through:

The Headmaster 

Aggrey Memorial A.M.E. Zion Secondary School

P.O. Box 189 Cape Coast, Ghana

OR

Tel. No : 233-42-32212, 233-42-32471, 233-42-34096 Fax No. : 233-42-34096

LONG LIVE AGGREY MEMORIAL A.M.E. ZION SECONDARY SCHOOL!!!!!

Go to Top

 

Facilities Dormitories Academics Science Assembly Hall/Chapel Extra-curricular Board of Governors Projections School Address/Phone Numbers