St. John's School, Sekondi
St. John's School is an all-boys' second-cycle Roman Catholic school located at Sekondi in the Western Region of Ghana. The current curriculum falls within the Senior High School system in Ghana, with overall oversight by the Ghana Education Service. Graduates of St. John’s School are affectionately known as Old Saints. Graduates include award-winning journalist David Ampofo, Frank Abu former minister of Mines and Energy, former Chief Executive of Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital Felix Anyah, M.K Onnomah, Ghanaian politician and the late Major Maxwell Adam Mahama, and Shasha Marley.
| St. John's School | |
|---|---|
 Main school gate | |
| Address | |
P. O. Box 492 | |
| Coordinates | 4°55′58″N 1°43′42″W |
| Information | |
| School type | Public high school |
| Motto | Viam Parantes (Preparing the way) |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Christianity |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Patron saint(s) | St. John the Evangelist |
| Established | 29 January 1952 |
| Founder | Most Rev. William Thomas Porter, S.M.A. |
| Status | Active |
| Sister school | Archbishop Porter Girls Secondary School |
| School district | Sekondi Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly |
| Oversight | Ministry of Education |
| Gender | Boys |
| Age | 14 to 18 |
| Classes offered | Business, general arts, general science, visual arts |
| Language | English |
| Campus type | Suburban |
| Houses | 11 |
| Colour(s) | Maroon, Yellow and Green |
| Song | "St John beloved apostle" |
| Mascot | Koliko (Saint with a halo) |
| Nickname | The Saints |
| Rival | G.S.T.S |
| Alumni | Old Saints |
| Website | stjohnsschool |
History
St. John's School was founded on January 29, 1952 by Archbishop William Thomas Porter of the Society of African Missions,[1] in response to the government's Accelerated Education policy of 1951. It was founded as a private secondary school and was the first secondary school to be established in the western region. It was named after Rev. John Beenker, the first head of school. Shortly after assuming the post, Beenker became seriously ill. Rev. Father Donelley was interim head, and Rev. Father Francis Kwamena Buah was recalled from postgraduate studies at Cork University in Ireland to head the school.
The school started with three teachers, F. K. Buah, Donelley, and John Quansah and 47 students in two temporary classrooms.[2]
Students
The students are known as "the Saints" and the past students are known as "Old Saints".[3][4]
Old Saint Kwesi Kwansa Kennedy, 2018 won the Henry Godson-Afful award of the best performing WASSCE student and was also adjudged the 3rd Best in West Africa 2018 with 8A’s[5][6][7]
Headmasters
| Name | Tenure of office |
|---|---|
| Mr. Anthony J. Mensah | since 2015 |
| Rev. Bro. Sylvester Quaye | 2010–15 |
| Rev. Bro. Joseph K. B. Annan, C.S.C. | 2001–10 |
| Mrs. Rebecca Effiba Dadzie | 2001 (March–July) Acting |
| K. Akwasi Bona | 1997–2001 |
| Mr. R. A. Sackey | 1991–96 |
| Mr. J. S. Honny | 1979–90 |
| Mr. B. A. K. Griffin | 1974–78 |
| Bro. Raymond Papenfuss, C.S.C. | 1973–74 |
| Bro. Frederick McGlynn, C.S.C. | 1967–73 |
| Bro. Jerome Chandler | 1963–67 |
| Bro. Rex. Hennel, C.S.C. | 1959–63 |
| Rev. Fr. F. K. Buah | 1952–58 |
Notable alumni
Sports
- Solomon Amegatcher - Olympic Athlete
- Samuel Inkoom - Ghanaian Footballer
Politics
- John Frank Abu - Former Western Regional Minister
- Joseph Kofi Adda - Former Member of Parliament and Minister of Energy
- Yaw Owusu Addo - Former acting Director General of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, Municipal Chief Executive of the Kwahu West Municipal District
- P.A.V. Ansah - Ghanaian Politician and Journalist
- Wilson Arthur - Politician and CEO of Skyy Media Group
- Samuel Johnfiah - Former MP for Ahanta West (Ghana parliament constituency)
Academics
- Prof. Ebow Bondzie Simpson - Professor of Law, Barrister, Solicitor and Rector of GIMPA
- Prof. Wisdom Tettey - Vice President and Principal of University of Toronto, Scarborough
- Prof. Kwame Awuah Offei - Professor of Mining Engineering and a member of the 38-member advisory board on mineral and Energy Royalty Policy committee by the United States Secretary of Interior
- Prof. James Hawkins Ephraim - Physical inorganic Chemist and Former Vice Chancellor of Catholic University College of Ghana
Science, Tech and Medicine
- Dr. Felix Anyah - Former CEO of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital and Owner of the Holy Trinity Spa and Health Farm
- Dr. Charles Owubah - CEO of Action Against Hunger USA
- Eric Asubonteng - President of the Ghana Chamber of Mines and MD for Anglogold Ashanti
Military
- Peter Faidoo - Chief of Naval Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces
- Major Maxwell Mahama - Late Major of the Ghana Armed Forces lynched by a mob
Journalism
- David Ampofo - Ghanaian Journalist
- Fiifi Adinkra - Ghanaian blogger and Journalist
- Ato Kwamena Dadzie - Ghanaian writer and Journalist of Joy FM
- Philip Osei Bonsu - Broadcast Journalist, Corporate communications executive and Entrepreneur
- Kojo Frimpong of joy fm npp candidate mp for wench
Creative Arts
- Joe Beecham- Gospel musician
- Aka Blay - Guitarist and Musical artist
- Shasha Marley - Reggae Musician
- Papa Nii (Osoephagus) - Veteran Ghanaian Actor
- Albert Mensah - Bestselling Author and the only West African listed on the World’s Top 60 Motivational speakers
- Keche - Hiplife Musical Duo
References
- Staff (28 August 2012). "St John's School Marks 60th Anniversary". Daily Graphic. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
- "St. John's School Diary - Sekondi - About | Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
- "2004 batch of Saint John's School mourn fallen Old Saint". Retrieved 20 July 2017.
- "Things you didn't know about Captain Maxwell Mahama". www.ghanaweb.com. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
- "'Old Saint' wins Henry Godson-Afful best WASSCE student Award".
- "'Old Saint' wins Henry Godson-Afful best WASSCE student Award - MyJoyOnline.com". www.myjoyonline.com. Archived from the original on 4 April 2019.
- @StJohnsSekondi (8 March 2019). "A Proud Young OldSaint Kwesi Kwansa Kennedy was adjudged 2018 3rd Best Student in West Africa (WASSCE) with 8A's. C…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.