Ghana Senior High School, Koforidua

Ghana Senior High School, Koforidua
Location
Effiduase [pluto] Koforidua , Ghana , P.O. Box KF 15838 Ghana
Information
School type	High School Co-educational Boarding/ Residential
Motto	Pro Patria (For Our Fatherland)
Religious affiliation(s)	Non-denominational Christian
Established	1943
Founder	Mr. Frank Addae, Mr. Francis Adjei-Tetebo
Status	Active
School board	Board of Governors
School district	New Juaben Municipality
Authority	Ministry of Education
Oversight	Ghana Education Service
Head of school	Mr. Jacob Afful
Headmaster	Mr. Jacob Afful
Staff	82 teachers, 137 other staff
Grades	Forms 1–3 (10th – 12th grades)
Gender	Co-ed (Boys/Girls)
Age range	14 to 18 years
Enrollment	ca. 1,500
Education system	Senior High School
Language	English
Classrooms	Four major classroom blocks as Butterfly block (form one block), Cocroach block (form two) and the Lizard and Crocodile blocks for form three.
Campus	Ghanass Campus
Campus size	1,100 acres (500 hectares)
Campus type	Residential garden-style Setting
Houses	14
Colour(s)	Green and Yellow
Slogan	Call "Beacon" Response "Shine"
Song	"We're the Beacon from the East of Ghana"
Nickname	Ghanass
Alumni	Ghanass Old Students' Association (GOSA) (members are called "Beacon")

Ghana Senior High School, Odumase, popularly known as GHANASS, is a high school in Koforidua. It was preceded by the establishment of two colleges that ultimately combined into what is currently known as The Beacon of the East

History

In 1943, Mr. Fred Addae and Mr. Francis Adjei Tetebo established a school with an initial population of 16 boys called Phoenix College in a private temporary building. By 1950, an increase in student population necessitated the movement of the school into a new location which currently houses the Normal Technical Institute, Koforidua. The change in location brought in its wake a change in the school's name from Phoenix College to Christ College. The location of the premises had to change again after some time to respond to the increasing student population. Thus, the school moved into Effiduase where it was housed at the current premises of Effiduase Police Quarters in Koforidua, Ghana. This was made possible by the efforts of Rev. Dr. Nimako, the first MP for New Juaben Constituency, Mr WT Wutor, a contractor and Nana Frempong Mposo II, the then chief of Effiduase. During this period, Mr. Francis Adjei Tetebo was the Principal of the college. Mr Fred Addae the headmaster had then died.

Later developments

In 1957, the year that Ghana gained independence, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah on a visit to Koforidua requested a name change of the school from Christ College to Ghana Secondary School. The change was so that the new name could be in line with other government established secondary schools such as the Ghana National College in Cape Coast and the Ghana Secondary Technical School in Takoradi. When the school was absorbed into the public school system, Mr. Daniel Ofori Dankwa who was then a Science teacher at Accra Academy was encouraged to come and steer the affairs of the establishment. In that same year, the first Speech and Prize - Giving Day was organized. The school then had a population of 100 boys and 6 girls with a staff of only 6. By dint of hardwork, Mr D. Ofori Dankwa continued to develop the school until 1974 when he was promoted to Director of Education. He was succeeded by Rev. R. P. Nyarko.

The school now has a population of over two thousand three hundred students (males and females) with a staff population of about eighty well qualified and trained teachers.

Headmasters

Name	Tenure of Office
Rev. R. P. Nyarko	1974-1979
Mr. G. A. Frempong	1979-1983
Mr. R. T. Sackey	1983-1985
Mr. G. A. Agyepong	1985-1992
Mr. E. K. Darko	1992-1996
Mr. S. O. Amaning	1996- 2002
Ms. Rosemond Bampoe	2002-2011
Very Rev. Abraham Osei-Donkor	2011– 2018
Mr Jacob Afful	2018 - Present

School motto

The motto of the school is Pro Patria. This motto seeks to instill in all who pass through Ghanass a sense of patriotism to offer dedicated service to the school and to the nation.

School anthem

The School Anthem was composed in 1979 by Mr. Boniface H. Adjei who was a Music Master of GHANASS at the time.

"We are the beacons from the East of Ghana (3x)
And our aim is to do our best.
To do our best nothing but our best (2x)

To do our best for our fatherland
And our motto is PRO PATRIA
PRO PATRIA
PRO PATRIA
PRO PATRIA
Posterity is looking unto us
For something good to offer
So we do our best our best always
To live and die for our dear Ghanassco