| Achimota School | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Address | |
 | |
P.O. Box AH 11 , Ghana | |
| Coordinates | 05°37′38″N 00°12′49″W / 5.62722°N 0.21361°W |
| Information | |
| Former names |
|
| School type | Secondary co-educational boarding school |
| Motto | Ut Omnes Unum Sint (That they all may be one) |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Non-denominational Christian |
| Established | 28 January 1927 |
| Founder | Sir Frederick Gordon Guggisberg, The Rev. Alexander Garden Fraser, Dr. James Emman Kwegyir Aggrey |
| Status | Active |
| School board | Board of Governors |
| School district | Okaikwei North Municipal District |
| Oversight | Ghana Education Service |
| Chairperson | Osei Kwame Agyeman, Chairperson of the Board of Governors |
| Headteacher | Ebenezer Graham Acquaah |
| Staff | 130 teachers,[1] 137 other staff |
| Grades | Forms 1–3 (Grades 10–12) |
| Gender | Co-ed (Boys/Girls) |
| Age range | 14 to 18 years |
| Enrollment | ca. 1500 |
| Education system | Senior High School |
| Language | English |
| Campus | Achimota School |
| Campus size | 1,300 acres (525 hectares) |
| Campus type | Residential garden-style setting |
| Houses | 17 |
| Colour(s) | Black and White |
| Song | "From Gambaga to Accra" |
| Nickname | Motown |
| Publication | The Achimotan |
| Endowment | Achimota School Endowment Trust |
| Budget | Approx. $10 million annually |
| Revenue | 40% government revenue; 40% boarding, maintenance and other fees; 20% other income, endowments, grants and donations |
| Alumni | AKORA is an Achimotan alumnus with membership in the Old Achimotan Association (OAA) |
| School hymn | "Grey city of the outlaw’s hill" |
| Website | Achimota School |
Achimota School (/ɑːtʃimoʊtɑː/ ah-ch-ee-m-oh-t-ah), formerly Prince of Wales College and School at Achimota, later Achimota College, now nicknamed Motown,[2][3] is a co-educational boarding school located at Achimota in Accra, Greater Accra, Ghana. The school was founded in 1924 by Sir Frederick Gordon Guggisberg, Dr. James Emman Kwegyir Aggrey and the Rev. Alec Garden Fraser. It was formally opened in 1927 by Sir Guggisberg, then Governor of the British Gold Coast colony. Achimota, modelled on the British public school system, was the first mixed-gender school to be established on the Gold Coast.
The school has educated many Ghanaian leaders, including Kwame Nkrumah, Edward Akufo-Addo, Jerry John Rawlings, and John Evans Atta Mills all of whom are former Heads of State of Ghana. Kofi Abrefa Busia, a former Ghanaian head of government and prime minister, taught and studied at Achimota.[4][5] British politician and minister Sam Gyimah was also educated at the school. Also included in its list of African heads of state are Zimbabwe's second president Robert Mugabe[6][7] and Sir Dawda Jawara, first head of the state of The Gambia. An alumnus/alumna of Achimota is known as an "Akora".
The motto of the school is Ut Omnes Unum Sint meaning "That they all may be one", a reference to the founders' expressed philosophy that starting in the context of school life, black and white, male and female, everyone should integrate and combine synergistically for the good of all. The stylised piano-key design of the Achimota School crest was described by Aggrey at the time: "You can play a tune of sorts on the black keys only; and you can play a tune of sorts on the white keys only; but for perfect harmony, you must use both the black and the white keys."[8]
- ^ "Achimota School rejects GES directive to admit Rastafarians". GhanaWeb. 22 March 2021.
- ^ "Achimota School: 15 Successful Ghanaians Who Attended The Legendary College". BuzzGhana. 3 March 2017. Archived from the original on 23 February 2018. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
- ^ "Throwback Thursday: Which is the best 'jama' school? Motown or Presec?". GhanaWeb. Archived from the original on 23 February 2018. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
- ^ Roberts, Pamela (2013). Black Oxford: The Untold Stories of Oxford University's Black Scholars. Signal Books Limited. p. 66.
- ^ Busia Foundation, Inaugural Ceremony (1998). In Commemoration of Busia: Proceedings of the Inaugural Ceremony of the Busia Foundation Held at the British Council Hall, July 18, 1998. The Foundation,1998. p. 16.
- ^ "Robert Mugabe: The Early Years". Global Black History. 17 February 2012. Archived from the original on 9 December 2017. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
- ^ Effah, K. "7 big names in Ghana who went to Achimota School". Yen.com.gh. Archived from the original on 24 June 2018. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
- ^ Achimota School Capital Campaign, 24 July 2011, Ac2010.org. Retrieved 31 August 2011.