Presbyterian Boys' Secondary School (PRESEC) 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-theologian, Nicholas Timothy Clerk (1862–1961), who served as the first Synod Clerk of the Presbyterian Church of the Gold Coast from 1918 to 1932, used his tenure to advocate for the establishment of the secondary school. The school has ties with its sister schools, Aburi Girls' Senior High School and Krobo Girls Senior High School. The school's crest has a shield with the Presbyterian symbol (the St Andrew Cross-Scottish flag with the Swiss flag embedded and a burning torch in the middle) with the motto of the school, "In Lumine Tuo Videbimus Lumen", meaning "In Thy Light We Shall See Light", scrolled beneath the shield. The school was originally located in Odumase - Krobo in the Eastern Region of Ghana before moving to its current location in Legon, in 1968. The school anthem is "Happy Are We", written by J. L. Anang and transcribed by Stephen Appiah Danquah. The school is an eight-time Ghana National Science and Maths Quiz winner. The alumnus of the school are refereed to as "Ɔdadeɛ".

History

Odumase campus (1938–1968)

The school was started in Odumase after an educationist of the Presbyterian Church of the Gold Coast, E. A. W. Engmann, continued to lobby and push for the establishment of a church boys' school, after N. T. Clerk had retired from his church position. This effort came to fruition in 1938 with the first group of 16 boys and four teachers. Engmann was the first headmaster. The Odumase campus housed German missionaries, then a primary school and then a government survey school before becoming the Presbyterian Boys' Secondary School. One of the traditions of the school is the "ɔdadeɛ" (baobab tree) located on the campus. An alumnus of the school is referred to as "Ɔdadeɛ". The baobab tree is a Ghanaian symbol of knowledge, resourcefulness and strength. New students were traditionally initiated at the feet of this tree clad in bedsheets and powdered faces. PRESEC was located here until 1968 when it was moved to its current location at Legon, Mile 9.

Legon campus (1968 to date)

In September 1968, the new campus at Legon just north east of the University of Ghana campus at Mile 9, received its first set of students. At the new campus, it continued as a boys' boarding secondary school until the mid-1970s when the sixth form was upgraded to the National Science College. Female students were admitted into the sixth form in small numbers from September 1975. They continued to be part of the student body until June 1996 when the last batch left. The Legon campus started with four student boarding houses. Three were named after notable Presbyterian leaders as Kwansa House, Clerk House and Engmann House. The fourth was named Akro House after the people of Krobo Odumase. The next two houses to be built were Riis House and Labone House. With the completion of the National Science College buildings, Ako-Adjei House and Owusu-Parry House were added (the latter named after the first Senior Prefect). Another house, House 9, admitted its first residents in September 2010 as well as a new house, House 10.

Campus

Houses

Alliance

Presbyterian Boys' Secondary School**,** PRESEC has an ongoing alliance with their fellow Presbyterian Girls' school**,** Aburi Girls' Secondary School, ABUGISS. The alliance is known as PRE-GISS.

Odadeɛ Radio

In December 2021, the 1981 year group of the alumni of the school launched an internet radio station called Odadeɛ Radio to serve both the school and its alumni and others worldwide. It is claimed that this is the first Senior High School in Ghana to have its own radio station. The station was established to generate increased interest by the students in media studies fields such as journalism, news reporting, photography and media management. It is also to support educational activities of the school and the mentorship programmes of the alumni. The first manager of the radio station is John Addo-Fening of the 1981 alumnus who is also the Chief Executive Officer of Rite 90.1 FM radio station.

Selected achievements

1990s

2000s

2010s

2020s

Headteachers

Notable alumni

Politics, government, and public policy

Academia

Arts and entertainment

Sports

Corporate, business, and finance

Law

Music

Journalism