Adisadel College
Adisadel College, popularly known as "Adisco", is an Anglican boys' boarding school in Cape Coast, Ghana.[1] Adisadel College is one of the oldest senior high schools in Ghana,[2] and was ranked 10th out of the top 100 best high schools in Africa by Africa Almanac in 2003, based on quality of education, student engagement, strength and activities of alumni, school profile, internet and news visibility.[3] Recently, they were ranked among the best senior high schools in Ghana[4] per WAEC standards.[5]
| Adisadel College | |
|---|---|
 School Crest | |
| Address | |
P. O. Box 83 Adisadel Village Central Region , Central Region , P.O. Box 83, 00233 Cape Coast Ghana | |
| Coordinates | 5.1206°N 1.2649°W |
| Information | |
| School type | Missionary funding, Public High School All Boys School |
| Motto | "Vel Primus Vel Cum Primis" (Either the first or with the first) |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Christianity |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Patron saint(s) | St. Nicholas |
| Established | 4 January 1910 |
| Founder | Nathaniel Temple Hamlyn |
| Headmaster | Samuel Agudogo |
| Staff | 98 teachers |
| Faculty | 4 |
| Gender | Boys |
| Age | 14 to 18 |
| Enrolment | c. 1500 |
| Average class size | 46 |
| Language | English |
| Campus | 2; Leopoldville & Katanga |
| Houses | 10 |
| Colour(s) | Black and White |
| Slogan | Play Up Santaclausians |
| Song | Adisadel On the Hill |
| Mascot | Zebra |
| Nickname | ADISCO |
| Rival | Mfantsipim School |
| Newspaper | Owl |
| Affiliation | Anglican Church, Ghana |
| Alumni | Adisadel Old Boys Association (AOBA) |
| Website | http://www.adisadelcollege.net |
History
Adisadel was established in 1910 in a building at Topp Yard, near Christ Church School, which is within the vicinity of Cape Coast Castle. The school began with 29 boys and by 1935, it had expanded to accommodate about 200 pupils. The school buildings were extended in 1950 by Maxwell Fry and Jane Drew.[6] Student enrolment stood at 545, at the time of the school's Golden Jubilee in 1960. By the time the school celebrated its centenary anniversary in 2010, Adisadel could boast about 1500 boarding students and 93 teachers.
The school's original founder was the Rt. Rev. Nathaniel Temple Hamlyn, a missionary who was then Anglican Bishop of Accra between 1908 and 1910. Hamlyn's ambition was to establish a grammar school to educate the sons of Anglicans in the colony, and also create an educational institution which will serve as a training ground for the clergy.
Adisadel College is the second-oldest secondary school in Ghana after Mfantsipim School, an arch rival which was established by the Methodist Church in 1876. Adisco is also one of the most famous high schools in sub-Saharan Africa.[7]
Uniform
The school uniform comprises black-and-white striped shirt and black shorts, directly reflecting the primary colours of the college. The distinctive outfit has earned Adisco students the nickname of "zebra boys". Prior to the introduction of this style of uniform in the 1990s, students of the old Form One to Form Five stream wore blue shirts and brown khaki shorts, while those in Sixth Form wore white shirts and brown shorts. Adisadel College was the first secondary school in the history of Ghana to design special cloaks for its prefects – red for the head prefect, blue for the other prefects, and green for the assistants – and the tradition persists till this day.[7]
Headmasters of Adisadel College
| Name | From | To |
|---|---|---|
| G. B. Brown BA | 1910 | 1910 |
| B. P. Haines MA | 1910 | 1910 |
| G. B. Brown BA | 1910 | 1912 |
| Hugh Hare MA(Oxon) | 1913 | 1914 |
| R. Fisher MA(Cantab) | 1914 | 1918 |
| W. Hutton Mensah | 1918 | 1924 |
| S. R. S. Nicholas MA DTh(Durham) | 1924 | 1929 |
| A. J. Knight MA LLB(Cantab) | 1929 | 1937 |
| R. D. Hudson MA(Oxon) | 1938 | 1940 |
| W. G. Harward MA(Oxon) | 1947 | 1952 |
| A. R. H. Dee MA(Sydney) | 1954 | 1955 |
| L. W. Fry MA BSc(Oxon) | 1956 | 1958 |
| T. J. Drury MA(Cantab) | 1959 | 1963 |
| R. T. Orleans-Pobee BA(Lond) MEd(Springfield) | 1963 | 1974 |
| E. A. Jonah BA(Legon) | 1974 | 1982 |
| R. K. Ayitey BA(Ed.) | 1982 | 1991 |
| J. F. K. Appiah-Cobbold BA PGC. | 1991 | 1995 |
| J. E. C. Kitson BA PGCE) | 1995 | 2004 |
| H. K. K. Graham BSc(Hons) PGCE | 2005 | 2014 |
| William Kusi Yeboah | 2014 | 2019 |
| Francis Kwame Agbedanu | 2019 | 2020 |
| Samuel Agudogo | 2021 | Present |
Publications
- Adisadel On The Hill: The History (1910–2010) - by John Samuel Pobee, Vicar General of the Anglican Diocese of Accra. This book was published and launched in March 2010 to coincide with the school's centenary anniversary.
- The Owl is a monthly newsletter for students and alumni of Adisadel College.[11]
- Reminiscences of Adisadel - A short historical sketch of ADISADEL COLLEGE published in 1980, by G. McLean Amissah.
Publication: Reminiscences Of Adisadel College 1970-1975 Editors: Dr Paul Mensah; Dr Kwesi Bentum Date: 2017 ISBN 978-9988-2-7402-3 Publisher: Buck Press Ltd, Accra, Ghana.
Notable alumni
Thomas O. Mensah
Opoku Ware II
- Head of State: Akwasi Amankwa Afrifa
- Scientists: Ave Kludze, Thomas Mensah, Nii Quaynor
- Speakers of Parliament: Rt.Hon Jacob Hackenburg Griffiths-Randolph, Rt.Hon Ebenezer Sekyi-Hughes
- Chief Justices: Justice George Kingsley Acquah, Justice Philip Edward Archer, Justice Edward Kwame Wiredu and Justice Robert John Hayfron-Benjamin(Botswana)
- Supreme Court judges: Justice Koi Larbi, Justice Henry K. Prempeh, Justice Charles Hayfron-Benjamin and Justice Anselmus Kludze
- Attorney-Generals of Ghana: Edward Nathaniel Moore, Godfred Yeboah Dame
Recent awards
- Winners of the 2016 edition (and runners up on four other occasions) of the National Science and Maths Quiz[12]
- Winners of 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 editions of the National Hockey Championship / Citizens International Inter-Schools (CIIS) Hockey fiesta.[13]
- Winners of 2021 National Robotics Championship.[14]
External links
References
- "Floods in Cape Coast: Fire Service rescues trapped pupils". Graphic Online. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
- "Top 10 Oldest Senior High Schools in Ghana - Myshsrank". myshsrank.com. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
- "top20highschools". Africa Almanac. Africa Almanac. 1 October 2003. Archived from the original on 14 January 2007. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
The research leading up to the publication of the 100 Best High Schools in Africa began with the launching of the website in December 2000.
- Kumi Robert (12 March 2023). "Top 50 Senior High Schools In Ghana 2023". Sucess Africa. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
- Mwendwa, Venic (16 May 2023). "100 best senior high schools in Ghana (WAEC standard) 2023". Yen.com.gh - Ghana news. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
- Holl, Jessica (4 February 2013). "Fry and Drew: From the Archives". Archived from the original on 10 March 2014.
- "Adisadel Historical Sketch". adisadelonline. Archived from the original on 3 July 2008. Retrieved 19 February 2008.
- "Adisadel College Past Headmasters". adisadelcollege.net.
- "Adisadel headmaster takes home four vehicles as retirement package; PTA fumes". myjoyonline. 23 January 2014.
- Severious Kale-Dery (1 March 2019). "Adisadel College Headmaster relieved of position". graphic.com.gh.
- "Owl on the web". adisadelonline. Archived from the original on 29 January 2017. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
- Arku, Jasmine (29 June 2016). "Adisadel College wins 2016 National Science and Maths Quiz". Graphic Online. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
- "CIIS Hockey Fiesta: Edinaman dethrones K Gee while ADISCO makes it four". GhanaWeb. 18 June 2019.
- "(Photos) Adisadel College wins National Robotics Championship - Supadupanews".