Ebenezer Senior High School, is a public secondary educational institution in Ghana and operates as a non-denominational and mixed school. It is located in Mpoase, near Dansoman in Accra, in the Ablekuma West Municipal District of the Greater Accra Region of Ghana.[1]
| Ebenezer Senior High School | |
|---|---|
 Ebenezer Senior High School entrance gate | |
| Address | |
 | |
Ghana | |
| Coordinates | 5°31′51.2″N 0°16′22.5″W / 5.530889°N 0.272917°W |
| Information | |
| Other name | Padua |
| Former name | Ebenezer Secondary School |
| Type | Public Senior Secondary School |
| Motto | Semper Perstate (Always Persevere) |
| Established | January 1941[3] |
| Founder | Robert Teiko Aryee[2] |
| Status | Active |
| Educational authority | Ablekuma West Municipal District |
| Oversight | Ghana Education Service[2] |
| Principal | Anastasia Afua Konadu[4] |
| Grades | Forms 1–3 (Grades 10–12) |
| Gender | Boys and Girls |
| Enrollment | 2578[1] |
| Language | English |
| Campus size | 45 acres |
| Campus type | Urban |
| Houses |
|
| Colour(s) | Green and Yellow |
| Slogan | Ebenesco |
| Athletics | Track and field |
| Alumni name | Paduan |
| Website | www |
A graduate of Ebenezer is referred to as a "Paduan". Anastasia Afua Konadu is the current headmistress of the school.[5][6]
History
editEbenezer Senior High School, formerly known as Ebenezer Secondary School, was founded on 22nd April 1941 by Robert Teiko Aryee, as a private school in the Gold Coast, Ghana.[2] He started the school with only 6 students in a room where he was also living in Ayalolo, Accra. The school was later relocated to Korle Gonno and then to Mamprobi in 1952. R.T. Aryee and his nephew E.K.A. Otoo (father of Ayikoi Otoo) ran the school as headmaster and assistant headmaster respectively at the time, until the government took over the school and appointed C.E.A. Martinson as headmaster in 1956.[7]
The name "Ebenezer" was taken from Eben-Ezer which means stone of help.[7]
In 1981, the school became a senior secondary school as a result of a change in the Ghana Education Service policy. The school is a semi-autonomous secondary educational institution and operates mostly with the aid of a school Board of Governors (BOG), a Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) and an Old Students' Association (OSA).[8][9][3]
At the 5th Ghana Renewable Energy Fair & National Energy Symposium in Accra, the school participated in the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Project competition and won the first prize. It was organized by the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum and Energy Commission.[10][11]
Building history
editThe school has an administration block, two 18-unit academic classroom blocks, a science block, and an assembly hall.[8] The school also has an e-library facility.[12]
A girls' dormitory began by the government in 2008 and a science laboratory in 2016 have still not been completed. A visual arts building started by the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) several years ago has stalled.[13]
In June 2019, MTN Ghana Foundation started the construction of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Centre building in the school.[14] The centre with a Robotic laboratory facility and an e-library was completed in November 2020 and inaugurated by MTN Ghana's CEO Selorm Adadevoh.[12]
In October 2020, Ebenezer Old Students Association (EOSA) launched the Padua Regeneration Programme to rebuild and transform the derelict structures of the school into a modern one.[15][8]
Insignia
edit| Object | Significance |
|---|---|
| Bible | Signifies Christian values |
| Rock | Signifies Solid and unwavering foundation |
| Palm Tree | Signifies Steadfastness |
| Dove | Signifies High aspirations and hope |
| Semper Perstate | School motto written in Latin, translates to "Always Persevere" |
Academics
editThe school focuses on programmes which includes general arts, general science, agriculture, business, home economics, and visual arts.[1]
The school like other government run senior high schools in Ghana, operates a three-year academic cycle, from form one to form three. At the end of the third year, students have to pass the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) to obtain a certificate to mark the completion of secondary education and to proceed to tertiary education.[16]
Houses
editThe school has four houses and each student is assigned a house when admitted into the school. The houses are named after the founder and former teachers of the school. The names of the houses are: Aryee House, Freeman House, Martinson House, and Otoo House.
Sports
editThe school participates in sporting competitions nationwide and is renowned for football (soccer), field hockey, handball and athletics in inter college sports competitions.[3]
Old Students Association
editThe Ebenezer Old Students Association (EOSA) is an association of old students of the school. The association has a governing body consisting of: a president, vice president, general secretary, treasurer, financial secretary and a public relations officer elected at an annual general meeting. They have the responsibility of planning and executing all programmes or events that are organised by the association. It also serves as a liaison between the alumni and the school. The association also supports the school in funding the regeneration of its old and derelict infrastructure.[15][3][8]
An old student of the school is referred to as a "Paduan".[17]
Faculty
edit
Headteachers
| Headteachers | Tenure in office |
|---|---|
| Robert Teiko Aryee | 1941—1956 |
| Charles E.A. Martinson | 1956—1974 |
| Vincent B. Freeman | 1974—1986 |
| Nancy Thompson | 1986—1997 |
| Nicholas S. Dei | 1997—2002 |
| Samuel Ofori-Adjei | 2002—2005 |
| Elizabeth A. Addo | 2005—2017 |
| Richard Kofi Mensah | 2017—2020 |
| Anastasia Afua Konadu | 2020—present[18] |
Criticism
editIn December 2019, while on a high school tour in Dansoman before his annual "Saminifest" concert, Ghanaian musician Samini went to Ebenezer Senior High School to address students but the headmaster at the time, Richard Kofi Mensah, prevented him from entering the school. Samini later claimed that the refusal was because of his dreadlocks (Rastafari) and for this reason the headmaster thought he "was not fit to speak to the students of the school."[19] Replying to Samini, headmaster Richard Mensah confirmed that he did not prevent Samini from addressing the students because of "the dreadlocks", stating "I have a student in my school who has dreadlocks, a girl.", rather it was because it was the school's exams week.[20] The headmaster and the president of Old Students Association, Lloyd Evans, both confirmed that Samini's letter which he sent to the school to get approval to address the students hadn't yet been approved.[21][20]
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Ebenezer Senior High School". Ghana Education Hub. 9 July 2021. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
- ^ a b c Asante Attakora, Emmanuel (12 July 2016). "Ebenezer Senior High School celebrates 75th Anniversary". ModernGhana. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
- ^ a b c d "Ebenezer Senior High School celebrates 78th anniversary". GhanaWeb. 24 June 2019. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
- ^ Adamafio Commey, Benjamin (7 November 2020). "Ebenezer Old Students Association launches GH¢5 million Regeneration Project". Ghana News Agency. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
- ^ "Padua 1973 year group donates to Ebenezer SHS". News Ghana. 15 September 2020. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
- ^ "Ebenezer SHS tops Renewable Energy Challenge". Graphic Online. Daily Graphic Newspaper. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
- ^ a b "Our History – Ebenezer Senior High School (Padua)". Gopadua. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
- ^ a b c d "Ebenezer Old Students Association Launches GH¢5 Million Regeneration Project". Peacefmonline.com. 7 November 2020. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
- ^ "Stalled projects at Ebenezer SHS hampering academic work - Headmaster". GhanaWeb. 27 June 2021. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
- ^ Andoh, Charles (12 October 2019). "Ebenezer SHS tops Renewable Energy Challenge". Daily Graphic. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
- ^ Benghan, Bernard (10 October 2019). "Ghana: Ebenezer SHS Wins Renewable Energy Challenge Competition". AllAfrica. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
- ^ a b Nana Yaw Kwafo, Eric (25 November 2020). "MTN Build, Commissions Ultra-Modern Multi-Purpose Library At Ebenezer SHS To Serve Dansoman". Modern Ghana. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
- ^ "Stalled projects at Ebenezer SHS hampering academic work - Headmaster". News Ghana. 26 June 2021. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
- ^ "MTN constructing robotic lab for Dansoman Ebenezer SHS". BusinessGhana. 16 January 2020. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
- ^ a b Akusah, Nicholas (14 October 2020). "Ebenezer Old Students To Launch Padua Regeneration Program". Modern Ghana. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
- ^ Bediako Koomson, Joshua (14 September 2021). "Regional Minister tours WASSCE centres". Graphic Online. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ "Padua Alumni – Ebenezer Senior High School (Padua)". ebenezer-shs.edu.gh. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
- ^ "Padua 1973 year group donates to Ebenezer SHS". Ghana News. Retrieved 2020-09-15.
- ^ Tetteh, O. (18 December 2019). "Samini 'sacked' from Ebenezer SHS because of rasta". Yen.com.gh. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
- ^ a b Jonson, Juno (21 December 2019). "I Did Not Sack Samini Because Of His Dreadlocks - Ebenezer SHS Headmaster". GhGossip. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
- ^ Mubarik, Abu (22 December 2019). "'We are not in the jungle': Old students of Ebenezer SHS blast Samini". Pulse Ghana. Retrieved 29 October 2021.