Ghana Senior High, Tamale celebrates 60th Anniversary – OGA

The Government of Ghana established many educational institutions in the pre and post-independence era to prepare the Ghanaian youth for the future. Northern Ghana was not left out in this campaign to prepare the Nation. Government policy saw the establishment of many schools to include the great Ghana college, Sagnarigu area school, and many others. Today, Ghana Senior High school tells its success story after 60 years of superior educational service delivery to the Nation and beyond.

Ghana Senior High School, popularly known as Ghanasco, this month, celebrates its 60^th anniversary to mark greatness in the educational sector. Ghanasco, one of the largest second cycle institution in Tamale was founded in 1960 as one of the Ghana Trust schools, mandated to train, develop and produce quality human resource to support various areas of the Ghanaian society.

The school originally called Ghana Collage, saw Mr Kenneth Luther Purse, a Jamaican, as the first Headmaster to lead the task. Ghanasco started with 17 boys and has since nurtured thousands of great students. Today the school has the capacity and student population of about 2,800.

List of Headmaster

Ghanasco is known for its unique blue and white colors that represents the true picture of knowledge, patience and good intentions.

Motto:

Dani suma ni suglo

This mantra is in Dagbani meaning ‘patience and good intentions’. This well thought mantra has supported the nurturing of well mannered students who have always known that patience and good intentions will lead the way for success.

School anthem

Rejoice my soul for being a Ghanascan

The home of learning, Patients and good intentions is our motor

We shall work for our mother school with good intentions

We’re proud to be Ghanascans

GREAT GHANASCO, The home of learning,

GREAT GHANASCO, the root to success.

We deserve the Glory, we deserve the honor

That we are in Our Mother school,

We deserve the Glory, we deserve the honor,

That we are in Our Mother GREAT GHANASCO.

Infrastructure

Ghanasco is well resourced with an administrative block, an old dining hall, a new larger dining hall/ jams hall, an arts/ PTA block, a science block, a science laboratory including home economics laboratory and a very big mosque. Other facilities include the dormitories for boys; Nkrumah house, Gbewaa house, Cabral/Gbanzaba house, Dakpema and purser house are boys’ dormitories.

The girls’ dormitories include; indice 1, indice 2 house, annex 1, annex 2 house and Lordina house, the headmaster’s bungalow, and the teachers’ bungalows.

There is also a dam, popularly called the Ghanasco dam is used by surrounding communities including Kukuo and students at the school.

Ghanasco is also known for its ultra-modern tank farm that serves as water reservoir for the school. It’s a well arranged mechanized facility that serves the water needs of the School.

Ghanasco has a unique football and basketball pitches well kept for sports activities.

Ghanasco also has a good number of teachers bungalow that serves the housing needs of the teaching staff.

Achievement

In June 1970, a historic feat was chalked by the school when Mr. Lalaji, a mathematics teacher and his science students invented a rocket. On 22 June 1970 the rocket was launched in the school with the Minister of Education Mr. William Offori-Attah in attendance. No school in the North has anything like this invention.

The school has participated and won in various competitions. The most recent is the Ghana science and Maths Quiz in 2019 when Ghanasco beat prominent schools to qualify for the quarter finals.

Ghanasco has built the foundation for many great minds in the country. It has produced presidents, Doctors, great footballers, Bankers, Lawyer and Judges, politicians, and many other great careers in the country and outside the country.

Alumni

The Old Student Union – Old Ghanascan Association (OGA) is a powerful group constantly involved in the management and development of the school. The group is known for its persistence for consistency in quality service to the nation.

Popular amongst the old students is H E John Dramani Mahama and his wife Madam Lordina Mahama, the immediate former President of Ghana and his wife. Others includes, H L Joseph Bawa Akamba – A Supreme court Judge, Mr Alhassan Andani – immediate past MD of Stanbic Bank, Dr Ibrahim Awal – current Minister of tourism. Hon. Alhassan Suhuyini (MP), Hon Murtala Mohammed (MP), Hon. Moses Asaga (Former MP/Minister), Prof. Nafiu- Dean of student, UDS, Hon. John Jinapo (MP), Hon Alhassan Yakubu (Former MP/Minister) and many more.

Program outline

The school together with the organizing committee have outlined several activities to celebrate the occasion. The Launch of the celebration will bring together all prominent past students to create awareness through a float from Jublee park in Tamale to Ghanasco campus on the 20^th of November.

• Games funfair and exhibition –             22nd November 2021
• Blood donation –                                   23^rd November 2021
• Clean up Exercise –                                24^th November 2021
• Debate against Tamasco                        25^th November 2021
• Commissioning of New staff room        25^th November 2021
• OGA Home coming & Congress            26^th November 2021
• Commissioning of rocket                       26^th November 2021
• Interaction with H E John Mahama        26^th November 2021
• Dinner dance                                          26^th November 2021
• Climax of Celebrations                           27^th November 2021

Invited dignitaries includes the current vice president of Ghana, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, who is from a ‘rival school’ school in the Sagnarigu village. Old students will play exciting role in the celebration. They invite all and sundry to witness the greatness of the school after sixty years of excellence.

by Abdul Latif – OGA 2002