Aburi Girls' Senior High School, formerly Aburi Girls' Secondary School, also known as ABUGISS, is a

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...

senior high

boarding school A boarding school is a school where pupils live within premises while being given formal instruction. The word "boarding" is used in the sense of "room and board", i.e. lodging and meals. They have existed for many centuries, and now extend acr ...

for girls located south of

Aburi Aburi is a town in the Akuapim South Municipal District of the Eastern Region of south Ghana famous for the Aburi Botanical Gardens and the Odwira festival.

in the

Eastern Region Eastern Region or East Region may refer to: * Eastern Region (Abu Dhabi): Al Ain *Eastern Region, Ghana *Eastern Region (Iceland) *Eastern Region, Malta *Eastern Region, Nepal *Eastern Region, Nigeria * Eastern Region, Serbia *Eastern Region, Ugand ...

Ghana Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...

. The brother school of Aburi Girls is

Presbyterian Boys' Secondary School Presbyterian Boys' Secondary School (PRESEC, Legon) is a secondary boarding school for boys. It is located in Legon, Accra, Ghana. It was founded in 1938, under the auspices of the Presbyterian Church of the Gold Coast. The Basel missionary-t ...

, known as "PRESEC".

History

Aburi Girls Senior High School was formally established as a secondary school for girls in 1946 with only seven students. However, its origin dates as far back as 1852, when the

Basel Mission The Basel Mission is a Christianity, Christian missionary society based in Switzerland. It was active from 1815 to 2001, when it transferred the operative work to , the successor organization of ''Kooperation Evangelischer Kirchen und Missione'' ...

aries opened a school at primary level for girls at their mission station inside the town. The primary school continued until its takeover by the Scottish Mission during the

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. In the 1920s the training of teachers was begun alongside a kindergarten section and a middle school, also for girls, and in 1946, secondary classes were introduced side by side with the teacher-training course. In 1950 the Presbyterian Church of the Gold Coast (now Ghana) took over the Management of the school when its partner missions the Basel Mission and the Scottish Mission left. The secondary school was physically separated from the teacher training classes and moved to its present site on its present site on the outskirts of Aburi in 1954. Classes ran from Form 1 to Form 5 until 1958, when a Sixth Form was added. Presently the 3-year Senior High School system is run. In 1972, the Methodist Training College located on the southern side of the school was closing down so Joyce Asibey, the first Ghanaian Headmistress initiated negotiations with the Methodist Church to acquire the college premises for the school. The compound had a dining hall, dormitory and classrooms and so it was used to house form one students. This was done to reduce the incidence of bullying. Due to the increase in numbers in the 1990s, this arrangement was stopped and the old “Metico” building is now bonafide house known as Irene Anderson House just as the entire compound. The school is located on the easternmost part of the ridge forming the Akuapem Mountains, about a mile to the south of Aburi.

Global Robotics Competition

A total of 12 students from the Aburi Girls Senior High School will be representing Ghana at the first ever Global Robotics Competition.

Houses

The school currently has eight houses, named as follows: * Aberdeen House * Irene Anderson House * Sylvia Asempa House * Barradale House * Chapel House * Edinburgh House * Kilsyth House * Royal Park House

Programmes offered

Below are academic programmes offered in the school: * Business * Visual Arts * Home Economics * General Science * General Arts

Achievements

Between 2011 and 2015, the school cleared the top awards in two categories in the

West African Senior School Certificate Examination The West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) is a type of standardized test in West Africa. Students who pass the exam receive a certificate confirming their graduation from secondary education. It is administered by the West A ...

(WASSCE) winning Best in Mathematics and Science. Also in 2015, the school won the three top awards in the National Best School and Best Teacher Awards for the Senior High School Division for the Eastern Region.

School code

0020301

School category

Category A

School Facilities

Below are the facilities provided for the school * Home Economics Kitchen * Science Lab * Administration Block * Dinning Hall * Library

Notable alumni

* Akosua Adomako Ampofo, Ghanaian academic, sociologist and professor of Gender studies and African studies at the

University of Ghana The University of Ghana is a public university located in Accra, Ghana. It is the oldest public university in the country. The university was founded in 1948 as the University College of the Gold Coast in the British colony of the Gold Coast ...

* Senyuiedzorm Awusi Adadevoh, photojournalist *

Vida Akoto-Bamfo Vida Akoto-Bamfo (born 7 February 1949) is a retired Ghanaian Supreme Court Judge. She served on the Supreme Court bench from 2009 to 2019. Early life and education Akoto-Bamfo was born on 7 February 1949 to Alfred Kingsley Bannerman-Williams an ...

, justice of the

Supreme Court of Ghana The Supreme Court of Ghana is the highest judicial body in Ghana. Constitution of Ghana, Ghana's 1992 constitution guarantees the independence and separation of the Judiciary of Ghana, Judiciary from the Legislative and the Executive (governm ...

(2009 – 2019) *

Gloria Akuffo Gloria Akuffo (born 31 December 1954) is a Ghanaian lawyer and politician who served as the Attorney General of Ghana and Minister for Justice from 2017 until 2021. She also served as Deputy Attorney General and Aviation Minister in the John Kuf ...

, Attorney General of Ghana and Minister of Justice (2017 – 2021) * Sylvia Anie, chemist,

Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry Fellowship of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC) is one of the most prestigious awards conferred by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) in the United Kingdom. Existing Fellows include award winning scientists and Nobel prize winners. FRSC awa ...

, received an award from the Old Students Association of Aburi Girls’ Senior High School recognizing her contributions to scientific knowledge. * Francisca Ashietey-Odunton, journalist, broadcaster and diplomat * Ivy Barley, Ghanaian entrepreneur * Veronica Bekoe, Ghanaian Biological scientist, inventor of Veronica Bucket * Abena Brigidi, investment analyst author and speaker * Esi Awuah, Ghanaian academic;foundation vice chancellor of the

University of Energy and Natural Resources The University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR; ) is a public-funded university in Ghana, that was established by an Act of the Parliament of Ghana, Act 830, 2011 on December 31, 2011. The university is a public funded national institution ...

, Ghana * Matilda Baffour Awuah, Security expert, former Director General of the Ghana Prisons Service * Christine Alexandra Clerk, physician and epidemiologist * Nuong Faalong, Ghanaian journalist, activist, and actress *

Elsie Effah Kaufmann Elsie Akosua Biraa Effah Kaufmann (born 7 September 1969) is a Ghanaian academic, academic administrator, biomedical engineer, and current host of the National Science and Maths Quiz. In December 2020, Elsie Kaufmann was appointed an associ ...

, current Host of the National Science and Math Quiz and biomedical engineering scholar * Lovelace Johnson, active Justice of the Supreme Court of Ghana (2019–) * Ofie Kodjoe, American-Ghanaian singer, actress, radio presenter and motivational speaker * Cynthia Lamptey, Deputy Special Prosecutor (2018–) * Lauretta Vivian Lamptey, Commissioner for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (2011 – 2015) * Deloris Frimpong Manso, entrepreneur, television and radio show host, producer, public speaker and Women's Advocate * Ernestina Naadu Mills, educator and former First Lady of Ghana * Ellen Serwaa Nee-Whang, retired Ghanaian diplomat * Abena Oduro, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Social Science at the

* Frema Opare, Ghanaian politician; first female

Chief of Staff The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supportin ...

* Rose Constance Owusu, justice of the Supreme Court of Ghana (2008 – 2014) * Akosua Adoma Perbi, Ghanaian author and history professor * Florence Oboshie Sai-Cofie, Minister for Information and National Orientation (2007 – 2008), Minister of Tourism and Diaspora Relations (2008 – 2009) *

Cina Soul Christie Quincyna Quarcoopome (born 3 May 1996), known professionally as Cina Soul, is a Ghanaian singer, songwriter and performer. She was a finalist at the 2014 Vodafone Ghana Music Icons competition held in Accra, Ghana. Early life Christie ...

, singer-songwriter and recording artist * Johanna Odonkor Svanikier, diplomat * Theresa Amerley Tagoe, Ghanaian politician * Lawrencia Dziwornu, Ghanaian Politicain

School Traditions

Senior students (Form 3s), are referred to as "Lady" by their juniors. The school does not have a canteen, that is, the dining hall is the only source of nourishment for students. However, there is a tuckshop where pastries, groceries and soft drinks are sold.

References

{{reflist

External links

Official website

Papers of Mary Irene Anderson
(previous headmistress) at

University College London University College London (Trade name, branded as UCL) is a Public university, public research university in London, England. It is a Member institutions of the University of London, member institution of the Federal university, federal Uni ...

Boarding schools in Ghana Girls' schools in Ghana High schools in Ghana Presbyterian schools in Africa Educational institutions established in 1946 1946 establishments in Gold Coast (British colony) Christian schools in Ghana Public schools in Ghana Education in the Eastern Region (Ghana) Presbyterianism in Ghana