by Located in Legon, Accra, Ghana, Presbyterian Boys’ Secondary School (PRESEC) is a secondary boarding school for boys. Under the direction of the Presbyterian Church of the Gold Coast, it was established in 1938. During his stint as the Presbyterian Church of the Gold Coast’s first Synod Clerk from 1918 to 1932, Nicholas Timothy Clerk (1862-1961), a Basel missionary-theologian, utilised his position to push for the creation of the secondary school.The school maintains connections with Krobo Girls Senior High School and Aburi Girls Senior High School, which are its sister schools.
The school’s motto, “In Lumine Tuo Videbimus Lumen,” which translates to “In Thy Light We Shall See Light,” is scrolled beneath a shield featuring the Presbyterian insignia, which is a St. Andrew Cross-Scottish flag with a burning torch in the centre. The school moved to its current site in Legon in 1968 from its previous location in Odumase – Krobo in Ghana’s Eastern Region.
“Happy Are We,” composed by J. L. Anang and transcribed by Stephen Appiah Danquah, is the school song. Six times, the school has won the Ghana National Science and Maths Quiz. The alumnus of the school are refereed to as “Ɔdadeɛ”.
HISTORY
When N. T. Clerk left his post as church administrator, educationist for the Presbyterian Church of the Gold Coast, E. A. W. Engmann, persisted in advocating for the creation of a church boys’ school, leading to the founding of the school in Odumase. With the initial group of 16 boys and four teachers, this endeavour was successful in 1938. Headmaster Engmann was the first.
Before becoming the Presbyterian Boys’ Secondary School, the Odumase campus hosted German missionaries, a primary school, and a government survey school.
The “Ŕdadeɛ” (baobab tree) on campus is one of the school’s traditions. A “ņdadeɛ” is an alumni of the institution. Ghanaians associate the baobab tree with power, intelligence, and resourcefulness. At the base of this tree, new students were often inaugurated, dressed in bed linens with powdered faces. This was where PRESEC was situated until 1968, when it relocated to Legon, Mile 9.
Houses
- Kwansa House
- Clerk House
- Engmann House
- Akro House
- Riis House
- Labone House
- Ako-Adjei House
- Owusu Parry House
- House 9
- P. T. A. House
Notable alumni
Politics, government, and public policy
- Bryan Acheampong – Member of Parliament for Abetifi since July 2016
- Collins Adomako-Mensah – Member of Parliament for Afigya Kwabre North
- J. B. Danquah Adu – Member of Parliament for Akim Abuakwa North
- Lt. Gen. F. W. K. Akuffo – Head of State of Ghana (5 July 1978 – 4 June 1979)
- Vice Admiral Seth Amoama – Chief of the Defence Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces since January 2021.
- Michael Paul Ansah – Minister of State in the third republic
- Eugene Arhin– Director of Communications at the Presidency (2017-)
- Theodore Obo Asare Jnr – Economist and Member of Parliament for Akan Bowiri in the first republic
- Mark Assibey-Yeboah – Economist and Member of Parliament for New Juaben South 6th and 7th parliament, Chairman of the 7th Parliament’s Finance Committee
- Kwaku Boateng – Minister of Education and Minister of Interior in the first republic
- Kwesi Botchwey – Ghana’s longest-serving Minister of Finance (1982–1995), Chairman of Ghana National Gas Development Task Force
- Fuseini Issah – Member of Parliament – Okaikwei North since January 2017
- Lawrence Kpabitey Kodjiku – First Director of the National Service Secretariat, Regional Commissioner (Regional Minister) for the Ashanti Region (1975-1977), Regional Commissioner for the Greater Accra Region (1977-1979), Regional Commissioner for the Northern Region (June 1979-August 1979), and formerly Ghana’s ambassador to Israel.
- Eric Oduro Osae – Director General of the internal audit agency of Ghana and Dean of Institute of Local Governance
- Bernard Okoe-Boye – Member of Parliament – Ledzokuku Constituency in the Greater Accra Region, Deputy Minister of Health
- Aaron Mike Oquaye – Speaker of the 7th Parliament of the 4th Republic (2017–2021), former Minister of Communication (2005–2009)
- Mike Oquaye Jnr – Diplomat
- Oseadeeyo Kwasi Akuffo III – Omanhene (or paramount chief) of the Akuapem traditional area (Okuapeman) in Ghana
- Kofi Portuphy – former National Coordinator, National Disaster Management Organization and former National Chairman-National Democratic Congress
- Erasmus Isaac Preko – Member of parliament during the first republic, Minister of Fuel and Power (1965 – 1966)
- Andrews Kwabla Puplampu – Minister for Lands (1965 – 1966)
- Samuel Sarpong – Ashanti and Central Regional Minister (2014 – 2016)
- Bright Simons – IMANI Ghana and 2012 World Economic Forum (WEF), Young Global Leader (YGL)
- Alex Tettey-Enyo – former Minister of Education
- Daniel Nii Kwartei Titus Glover – Member of Parliament for Tema East since 2013
- Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa – Member of Parliament – North Tongu, former Deputy Minister of Education (2013–2016)
- Ato Ulzen-Appiah – Director of the GhanaThink Foundation and named amongst most influential young Africans
- Kobla Mensah Wisdom Woyome – Member of parliament for South Tongu
