This article needs additional citations for verification .(January 2018) |
Mfantsipim School | |
---|---|
Address | |
Aboom Wells Road , 101 Ghana | |
Coordinates | 5°07′08″N1°15′04″W / 5.119°N 1.251°W |
Information | |
School type | Public secondary/high school mission |
Motto | Dwen Hwɛ Kan (Think and Look Ahead) |
Religious affiliation(s) | Christian |
Denomination | Methodist |
Established | 3 April 1876 |
Sister school | Wesley Girls High School |
School district | Cape Coast |
Headmaster | Rev. Ebenezer K. Aidoo |
Chaplain | Rev. Selali Segbefia |
Staff | 147 teachers |
Gender | Boys |
Age | 16to 20 |
Enrollment | 2500+ |
Average class size | 55 |
Language | English |
Houses | 8 |
Colour(s) | Crimson and black |
Song | "For all the Saints" (MHB 832) |
Nickname | Kwabotwe |
Rivals | |
Yearbook | Botaepa |
Affiliation | Methodist Church, Ghana |
Alumni | Mfantsipim Old Boys Association (MOBA) |
School anthem | "Dwen Hwɛ Kan" |
Mfantsipim is an all-boys boarding secondary school in Cape Coast, Ghana, [1] [2] established by the Methodist Church in 1876 to foster intellectual, moral, and spiritual growth on the then Gold Coast. Its founding name was Wesleyan High School and the first headmaster was James Picot, a French scholar, who was only 18 years old on his appointment.
Mfantsipim is nicknamed "The School" because it gave birth to other prominent schools such as Prempeh College. [3]
The idea of establishing a collegiate school to raise educational standards in the Gold Coast was first mooted in 1865 but was not realized until 1876 when the Wesleyan High School was established in Cape Coast with donations from local businessmen and the support of the Methodist Missionary Society in London. The school was originally intended to be situated in Accra, owing to a decision by the British Government to move the capital of the Gold Coast from Cape Coast to Accra by 1870. However, due to local agitation and the urgency to implement the idea, it was finally established in Cape Coast, although there were initial plans to later move it to Accra, a relocation that never happened.
On April 3, 1876, the school was established as Wesleyan High School.
Mfantsipim School was established in 1876 as Wesleyan High School in Cape Coast, primarily to train teachers with an initial enrollment of 17 pupils. The idea of establishing a collegiate school in the Gold Coast dates back to 1865, but it took eleven years to realize this vision. The school's location was chosen amidst local agitation and the urgent need to start the institution, despite initial plans to establish it in Accra. [4] [5]
The first headmaster was James Picot, a young French scholar, who was only 18 years old at his appointment. Despite his youth and relatively limited experience, Picot played a crucial role in the school's early days. [6]
In 1905 a graduate of the school, John Mensah Sarbah, founded a rival school named Mfantsipim; the name derives from "Mfantsefo-apem", [7] literally meaning "thousands of Fantes" but actually meaning "the gathering of hosts of scholars for change" originally by the Fantes. In July of the same year, the two schools were merged under the supervision of the Methodist Church, keeping the name Mfantsipim. [8]
The school celebrates annual events such as the Speech and Prize Giving Day, which dates back to 1908, initiated by Rev. W. T. Balmer. This event is significant for recognizing academic and extracurricular achievements and maintaining a connection with alumni. The school anthem, sung at various events, encapsulates the school's history, values, and aspirations. [9] [10]
Originally built on the premises of the Cape Coast Castle, Mfantsipim was later moved to its current location on Kwabotwe Hill in northern Cape Coast in 1931. This move marked a significant phase in the school's expansion and development. [9]
Year | Head boy | Year | Head boy |
---|---|---|---|
1928 | K. W. O. Assan | 1975/76 | Y. B. Yarquah |
1930 | C. J. Bannerman | 1976/77 | Fiifi Brandful |
1931 | L. K. Apaloo | 1977/78 | Kweku A. Awotwi |
1932 | H. K. Amu | 1978/79 | Arthur Hughes |
1933 | E. A. L. Bannerman | 1979/80 | Wormor K. Klu |
1934 | Peter Vanderpuije | 1980/81 | Sidney K. Koranteng |
1935 | E. A. Mensah | 1981/82 | Kodwo Ghartey-Tagoe |
1936 | Joe Appiah | 1982/83 | F. K. T. Bedu-Addo |
1937 | W. B. Amankwatia | 1983/84 | M. Adjei-Addison |
1938 | K. A. Amonoo | 1984/85 | S. Akpebu |
1939 | M. A. Baddoo | 1985/86 | Eugene B. Sangmuah |
1940 | M. A. Oduro | 1986/87 | A. Kittoe |
1941 | A. W. Kayper-Mensah | 1987/88 | D. D. K. Larbi |
1942 | G. S. O. Chinery | 1988/89 | Daniel Tweneboah |
1943 | J. C. de Graft | 1989/90 | G. Asomaning |
1944 | G. M. Odamtten | 1990/91 | Yaw Berko |
1945 | Alex Quaison-Sackey | 1991/92 | M. Y. Paintsil |
1946 | J. L. Duncan-Neizer | 1992/93 | A. O. Ankrah |
1947 | J. W. Mensah | 1993/94 | E. Opoku Serebour |
1948 | J. W. L. Tamakloe | 1994/95 | Kwesi Nsaful |
1949 | P. A. L. Odidja | 1995/96 | Michael Ofori-Koree |
1950 | B. T. K. Adadevoh | 1996 | Collins Anno |
1951 | J. O. Martey | 1997 | James Aggrey-Orleans |
1998 | Kwabena Anti | ||
1999 | Lawrence Ofosu | ||
2000 | Kofi Nimo Domfeh | ||
2001 | K. Obiri-Yeboah | ||
2001/02 | N. N. Lokko | ||
Cape Coast is a city, fishing port, and the capital of Cape Coast Metropolitan District and Central Region of Ghana. It is one of the country's most historic cities, a World Heritage Site, home to the Cape Coast Castle, with the Gulf of Guinea situated to its south. According to the 2021 census, Cape Coast had a settlement population of 189,925 people. The language of the people of Cape Coast is Fante.
The Mfantsefo or Fante are an Akan people. The Fante people are mainly located in the Central and Western regions of Ghana, occupying the forest and coastal areas. Their land stretches from the Pra estuary in the west to the Effutu borders in the east. The Fante can be broadly categorized into two groups - the Borbor Fante and the non-Borbor Fante. Over the last half century, Fante communities have been established as far as Gambia, Liberia, and even Angola due to fishing expeditions. Major Fante cities in modern Ghana include Oguaa, Edina (Elmina), Mankessim, Saltpond, Komenda, and Anomabo.
The University of Ghana is a public university located in Accra, Ghana. It is the oldest public university in Ghana.
John Mensah Sarbah was a prominent lawyer and political leader in the Gold Coast. He is also known as a founder of Mfantsipim School.
Joseph Ephraim Casely Hayford,, also known as Ekra-Agyeman, was a prominent Fante Gold Coast journalist, editor, author, lawyer, educator, and politician who supported pan-African nationalism. His 1911 novel Ethiopia Unbound is one of the earliest novels published in English by an African.
Sir Kobina Arku Korsah was the first Chief Justice of Ghana in 1956.
William Ofori Atta, popularly called "Paa Willie", was a Ghanaian founding member of the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) and one of the founding fathers of Ghana as one of "The Big Six" detained by the British colonial government in the then Gold Coast. He later became a Minister for Foreign Affairs in Ghana's second republic between 1971 and 1972.
Ernest Eggay Kwesi Kurankyi-Taylor was a prominent Ghanaian judge and activist.
Victor Owusu was a Ghanaian politician and lawyer. He served as Attorney General and Minister for Justice on two occasions which were under the NLC and then Busia regime and also became Minister for Foreign Affairs under the Busia regime. He was the Popular Front Party's presidential candidate for the 1979 Ghanaian general election.
Kow Nkensen Arkaah was a Ghanaian politician who was Vice-President of Ghana from 1993 to 1997. He was also a chief of Senya Beraku.
Albert Kwadwo Adu Boahen was a Ghanaian academic, historian, and politician. He was an academic at the University of Ghana from 1959 to 1990, from 1971 onwards as a professor. As a politician, he notably was a candidate in the 1992 Ghanaian presidential election, representing the main opposition New Patriotic Party.
Tsatsu Tsikata is a Ghanaian academic and lawyer. He is also a former Chief Executive of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation. He is a notable affiliate and legal counsel to the National Democratic Congress and regarded as one of the leading members of the political party.
William Esuman-Gwira Sekyi, better known as Kobina Sekyi, was a nationalist lawyer, politician and writer in the Gold Coast.
Willem Essuman Pietersen, also known as Willem Edmund Pietersen, was a Gold Coast merchant, politician, and educationist. He is also remembered as a goldsmith and watch repairer. Pietersen was co-founder of Mfantsipim School in Cape Coast, Ghana.
Dr. Kofi Dsane-Selby was a former Ambassador of Ghana during Dr. Busia and Kufour's regimes.
Media related to Mfantsipim School at Wikimedia Commons