Prempeh College

Prempeh College is a public secondary boarding school for boys located in Kumasi, the capital city of the Ashanti Region, Ghana. The school was founded in 1949 by the Asanteman traditional authority, the British Colonial Government, the Methodist Church Ghana and the Presbyterian Church of Ghana.[1] The School is named after the King of Ashanti, (Asantehene) Sir Osei Tutu Agyeman Prempeh II, who donated the land on which the school was built.[2] and was modeled on Eton College in England.[3] The school topped matriculation at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in 2004 with 441 students admitted[4] and in 2012, with 296 students from the college admitted, and is considered to be one of the best secondary schools in Ghana.[5][6][7] The School has won the National robotics championships a record three times between 2013 and 2016. In 2016 Prempeh College won the Toyota Innovation Award at the International Robofest World Championships held in Michigan, USA.[8]

Prempeh College
Location
Ashanti Region

Ghana
Coordinates6°42′13″N 1°38′50″W
Information
TypePublic, independent, boarding school
MottoAkan: Suban ne Nimdeε
(Character and Integrity)
Religious affiliation(s)
Established1949 (1949)
FoundersOsei Tutu Agyeman Prempeh II, the Rev. Sidney Pearson
Board chairmanKofi Osei Akuoko
HeadmasterAaron Attuah Gyau
GenderBoys
Age15 to 19
Enrolment≈2,520
Houses10
Colour(s)Green and Gold   
SongArise and shine
NicknameAmanfoɔ
PublicationThe Stool
AlumniAmanfour
Websitewww.prempeh.com

History

In the early 1940s, the British Colonial Government invited the Presbyterian and Methodist Churches, which had already established institutions such as Wesley Girls High School and the Presbyterian Boys Secondary school in Krobo Odumase based on their experience, to help set up a school in the middle belt of Ghana to serve the northern sector of the country. Although there were some delays due to the second world war, in 1948 Prempeh College was designed by renowned British modernist Architect Maxwell Fry and his wife Jane Drew.[9]

Jane Drew with her husband Maxwell Fry in 1984

Compared to other works by Jane Drew in Ashanti region, Prempeh College campus was designed to incorporate modernist refinements as described by Lain Jackson and Jessica Holland in their book titled "The Architecture of Edwin Maxwell Fry and Jane Drew: Twentieth Century Pioneer Modernism and the tropics. According to the Ashanti Pioneer Newspaper, the opening ceremony of Prempeh College was held on the 5th February 1949. Major C. O.Butler, the chief commissioner of Ashanti gave the following address at the ceremony-

There is a great and growing need for training men to take up posts of responsibility not just as clerks in offices but in Agricultural Education, Mining, Forestry, Architecture,Engineering and Building in the many other technical posts on the fulling of which by Africans the future development of Ashanti and the Gold Coast as a whole largely depends … We British from overseas are here to help you ultimately to administer the country yourselves … until you yourselves can provide the agriculturalists, engineers, the technicians and the tradesmen who can develop the natural resources

of your country.[10] In summary the college was expected to produce scientists and technocrats who could play vital roles in the economy of the Gold Coast.At the same opening ceremony, Prempeh II outlined his expectation for Prempeh College: ‘the hope that the students of the College would shine not only in the intellectual field but also in the moral firmament'.[10]

The Ashanti National Flag
Asantehene Prempeh II, benefactor of the college

As of 2012, the headmaster was E. K. Yeboah, a member of CHASS.[11]

Uniform

The school uniform includes a green shirt with the college crest. Students wear this to class on a daily basis. For ceremonial purposes students wear a green jacket with an embroidery of the college crest. The college blazer (suit) was in use from the beginning in 1949, was dropped in the 1980s, then revived in 2003. Students wear the college suit for ceremonial purposes, such as speech days and graduation ceremonies.[12]

School magazine

The magazine of Prempeh College has long been called The Stool. It is a 100-page document which gives annual reports of the school. With a patron, an editorial board and the SRC, they deliver to the student body the all-formidable magazine. What has always been featured, for example, are perceptions about the school outside, short messages from students of the college to other schools, interviews with alumni and many interesting features.[13]

Achievements

Prempeh College was the first school to win the National Science and Maths Quiz in 1994 and 1996.[14] The College also won the 2015 and 2017 editions of the Ghana National Science and Maths Quiz that makes them one of the most successful schools in the National Science and Maths Quiz competitions.[15][16][17] Prempeh College has also won the Ghana National Debate championship competition a record two times in 1997 and in 2004.[8] Prempeh College is the first Secondary institution in Ghana and Africa to win the world Robofest 2016 or World Robotics competition, beating giants from China, Japan and other industrialised countries.[18] They won the Toyota Innovation Award that year and are the only school from Africa to win it.[19] Prempeh College Robotics Club has also won a number of other robotics awards over the years, some of their achievements include: 2016 Ashanti Regional Robotics Champions, Robofest Toyota Innovation Award Champions 2016, Robofest National Champions 2016, National Robotics 2015, National Robotics Champions 2014, Regional Robotics Champions 2013, winners of the Regional Robotics Competition 2012, Achievement in Best Programming at the Robotics Inspired Science Education Competition 2011, The 2016 National Robofest Qualifiers, Presec-Legon, Ghana Champions.[20][21][22] The school represented Ghana at the World robotics olympiad in New Delhi India[23]

  • National Debate champions 2004 L-R Papa Yaw Ohene Konadu, Mohammed Khaliq, First Lady Theresa Kufour, Kwasi Owusu Gyeabour, President John Kufour and William Demitia

Notable alumni

See also

References
  1. http://asantekingdom.org/history/asanteman/
  2. Report on financial and physical problems of development in the Gold Coast, Dudley Seers, Claud Richard Ross,Office of the Govt Statistician, 1952
  3. David Dunkley Gyimah (6 July 2007). "Amanfoo - Prempeh College" – via YouTube.
  4. "Prempeh College Is Producing More Scientist ..." www.ghanaweb.com.
  5. http://ghanaculturepolitics.com/top-10-senior-high-schools-in-ghana-based-on-national-science-maths-quiz-winnings/
  6. "History". Prempeh College. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  7. "10 Best Secondary Schools In Ghana The Last 10 Years, According To SSCE Scores". 3 February 2016.
  8. "Achievements". home.amanfour.com.
  9. Jackson, Iain; Holland, Jessica (16 March 2016). The Architecture of Edwin Maxwell Fry and Jane Drew: Twentieth Century Architecture, Pioneer Modernism and the Tropics. Routledge. ISBN 9781317044864 – via Google Books.
  10. Ashanti Pioneer, 8 February 1949
  11. Severious Kale-Dery (26 November 2013). "CHASS surprised at GES action to suspend headmaster". Prempeh College Old Students Portal Amanfuo. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  12. "History". Prempeh College OLD Students of North America.
  13. "Prempeh College – Amanfoo North America". Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  14. Online, Peace FM. "2017 NSMQ". Retrieved 19 July 2017.
  15. http://www.pulse.com.gh/campus/prempeh-college-wins-2017-national-science-and-maths-quiz-id6919176.html
  16. Nyabor, Jonas (29 June 2017). "Prempeh College crowned #NSMQ2017 champions". Ghana News. Retrieved 19 July 2017.
  17. "2017 NSMQ CHAMPIONS PAY COURTESY CALL ON PRESIDENT AKUFO-ADDO". 18 August 2017. Retrieved 29 March 2018.
  18. "PREMPEH COLLEGE WINS 2016 ROBOTICS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP". m.myjoyonline.com.
  19. staff, Pulse. "ROBOFEST: Prempeh College wins 2016 robotics world championship".
  20. Kwaifa, Hussaini. "Prempeh College Wins Outstanding Engineering Knowledge & Exemplary Achievement Award". www.ghanacampusblog.com.
  21. http://www.pulse.com.gh/campus/brilliant-minds-prempeh-college-to-represent-ghana-at-the-world-robotics-olympiad-id5799659.html
  22. Effah, K. "Prempeh College wins Robofest World Championship in USA".
  23. "World Robot Olympiad 2016 Team Agyengogolf From Prempeh College". World News.
  24. Lee, Edward (5 July 2019). "Coppin State's Joseph Amoah emerges as world-class sprinter, eyes representing Ghana at 2020 Olympics". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  25. "de best born van information over sigh. Deze website is te koop!". ksigh.com. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
  26. "5 Times Kofi Jumah Showed that he is the Most Troublesome Kumasi Politician - NsromaMedia". 3 June 2016.
  27. "President John Agyekum Kufuor of Ghana". Joinafrica.com. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
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