# Ghana Senior High Technical School (Takoradi)

The Ghana Secondary Technical School is a science and technology-oriented high school located in Takoradi on the west coast of Ghana. It is the third oldest high school in Ghana — the oldest 'non-missionary' high school. The School was founded on 9 August 1909 in Accra as Accra Technical School and later changed to Government Technical School. It moved to its current site in Takoradi in 1939. In 1953, the name was changed to Government Secondary Technical School, and in 1970, it was given its current name. Former students of the school are known as Giants, and students in the school are called Tescans.

## History

The school was started in 1909 as a pure Technical Schooland was then sited at the former premises of the Accountant General (the current site of Kinbu Secondary Technical School in Accra). It was founded in response to the growing demand for technical education in the British colonies at that time.
In 1939, the school was moved to Takoradi. The first head was Mr. T. T. Gilbert. The first African head was Mr. J.W.L. Mills, who took up his post in 1958. A sixth-form was introduced in 1961.
The school's name changed from Government Secondary Technical School to Ghana Secondary Technical School in 1970.
For a brief period in the mid-nineteen-seventies students were admitted as part of military training. This started with Intake 15 of the then Military Academy and Training Schools. They underwent a combination of regular academic work with intermittent military training during holidays.

## List of principals and headmasters

| Name | Designation | Tenure |
| Mr. H.A. Wright | Principal | 1909–1916 |
| Mr. Pickles | Principal | 1917–1918 |
| Mr. McLaren | Principal | 1918–1938 |
| Lt. Col. T. T. Gilbert | Acting Principal | 1938–1946 |
| Major T. C. Watkins | Acting Principal | 1947–1953 |
| Mr. A. A. Jones | Principal | 1953–1954 |
| Mr. F. E. Joselin | Headmaster | 1955–1957 |
| Mr. J. W. L. Mills | Headmaster | 1957–1959 |
| Mr. I. N. K. Atiase | Headmaster | 1960–1961 |
| Mr. S. N. Adu-Ampomah | Headmaster | 1961–1965 |
| Mr. D. V. Owiredu | Headmaster | 1965–1968 |
| Mr. R. W. Asiedu | Acting Headmaster | 1968–1969 |
| Mr. S. T. Lomotey | Acting Headmaster | 1969–1970 |
| Mr. B. W. De-Graft Johnson | Headmaster | 1971–1973 |
| Mr. A. R. Cudjoe | Headmaster | 1973–1980 |
| Mr. B. E. Godwyll | Headmaster | 1980–1983 |
| Mr. P. B. Tuwor | Headmaster | 1983–1990 |
| Mr. D. S. Gamor | Acting Headmaster | 1990–1991 |
| Mr. I. K. Adams | Headmaster | 1991–1996 |
| Mr. T. K. Mensah | Headmaster | 1996–2013 |
| Mr. A. Adams | Headmaster | 2013–2015 |
| Mr. S.K.Essel | Headmaster | 2015 to 2021 |
| Rev. Kennedy Obeng | Headmaster | 2021- |

## School Anthem

GSTS ANTHEM – By Gt Stephen Agyefi Mensah 1996
Verse 1:
Honor O God, our leaders great
To whom you gave wisdom and power
To build this Glorious institute
Chorus:
So grant us, Lord Divine
Hope, Strength and Love
To Cherish and Uphold G.S.TS
Verse 2:
With zeal they toiled with hands and brains
And serve faithfully with their might
Their dear nation and made their mark
Chorus:
So grant us, Lord Divine
Hope, Strength and Love
To Cherish and Uphold G.S.TS
Verse 3:
Great is the duty we still owe
With full commitment and hard work
To strive and shirk not our duty
Chorus 2x:
So grant us, Lord Divine
Hope, Strength and Love
To Cherish and Uphold G.S.T.S

## Achievements

* Winners of the 2012 National Science and Maths Quiz Competition(And two times runner up)
* Winners of the 62nd Independence Quiz Competition
* 2014 best WASSCE student was a Tescan.
* In 11 June 2018, 14 students from Ghana Secondary Technical School (GSTS) Takoradi represented Ghana Genius Olympiad hosted at Suny Oswego University in New York City, United States of America (USA) started from June 11 to 18, 2018.

### Sports

* Winners of the Aggrey Shield in 1957 in Kumasi.
* 2009 National basketball champions at the National Milo Schools' Sports Festival in Kumasi.
* Winners of zonal inter school athletics competition with close to 40 titles since the inception of the competition (regional record holder in highest number of wins).
* Soccer champions in Takoradi Zonal Inter School competition on more than seven occasions.* Winners of the 2015 Edition of the Osagyefo Cup.

### Extra curricular activities

* First school in the Gold Coast to establish a cadet corps (in 1954).

## Notable alumni

Academics
* Kwesi Akwansah Andam — vice chancellor of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
* Ebenezer Oduro Owusu — vice chancellor of University of Ghana
* Agyeman Badu Akosa — professor of Pathology, former Director of Ghana Health Service, politician and social commentator
Science and technology
* Ashitey Trebi-Ollennu — aerospace engineer at NASA and JPL
* Alexander Anim-Mensah — chemical engineer and inventor
Sports
* Augustine Ahinful — Football player
Politics and governance
* Fred Ohene-Kena — former Minister for Mines and Energy
* Mike Hammah — former NDC member of Parliament for Winneba (Effutu Constituency)
* Nana Akomea — Ghanaian politician (New Patriotic Party)
* Hon. Alfred Ekow Gyan — politician, former Deputy Western Regional Minister
* William Agyapong Quaitoo — member of Parliament for Akim Oda Constituency, former Deputy Minister for Agriculture
* Francis Edward Techie-Menson — politician, member of parliament and Minister of State during the first republic
* Richard Quarshigah — politician, member of parliament and Minister of State
Military
* Joseph Narh Adinkra — former Chief of Army Staff
* Tom Annan — former Chief of Naval Staff
* Stephen Obimpeh — former Chief of Naval Staff of the Ghana Navy, former minister of state
* Matthew Quashie — former Chief of Defence Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces
* Peter Kofi Faidoo — chief of naval staff
Others
* Odeneho Gyapong Ababio II — traditional ruler and chief
* Augustine Ahinful — Ghanaian football player
* K.Y. Amoako — founder of the African Centre for Economic Transformation
* David Anaglate — newsman and former GBC Director-General