Kindergarten and Primary school
St Monica’s Cape Coast, is made up of Kindergarten, Primary and Junior High School (JHS). The JHS is headed by Dr Vivian Sabah who took over from Philomena Forson on 14th April 2023. The deputy is Jemima Acquah-Dadzie. The Kindergarten and the Primary section is headed by Victoria Kwenin. She is deputise by Elizabeth Otopia and Gifty Sofoa.
The kindergarten and Primary school, currently has two streams with an average of 45-65 pupils and a capacity of 642 four to twelve-year-olds. The Junior High School (JHS) has a capacity of 392 twelve to fifteen-year-olds. Students of JHS graduate to Senior High Schools in and around Cape Coast and other regions further afield, after taking the Basic Education Certificate Examinations (BECE) and undergoing a selection process.
St. Monica’s Cape Coast was graded the First Public school in BECE in 2016 with 117 students. It has a very good academic reputation and also excels in zonal level sports particularly in volley ball, netball, football and interschool athletics.
Due to large enrolments the old school block is being occupied by the primary division. In terms of facilities the entire old building needs refurbishment. The primary school with the junior high school moved to a new building with nine additional classrooms occupied by JHS with the average of 45-65 pupils in a class.
The school currently lack resources such as Teaching and Learning Materials (TLM) to enhance learning and teaching. It needs a convenience facility, a school canteen and a better recreational area.
As a public school, pupils and students do not pay fees but contribute 5 Cedis a year; as the government approved levy (PTA dues) to help pay the bills of the school.
Photos of current school condition
St Monica’s School – Cape Coast
The Order of the Holy Paraclete was founded in Whitby, England in 1915. St Hilda’s School opened at the same time.
By 1919 the sisters were praying about working abroad and Mother Margaret was thinking about India. However, in 1926 when the sisters had still made no decisions, the Right Reverend John Orfeur Aglionby, third Bishop of Accra, wrote to Mother Margaret to ask if OHP would be prepared to work in Cape Coast, in the Gold Coast. In September 1926, Dominic, a monk from Nashdom, a monastery in England, traveled to Whitby to talk to the sisters about the work they plan doing in Cape Coast. As a result of all this meeting, a decision was made and on October 13th, 1926, three sisters, Dorothy, Lilla, and Gertrude together with Mother Margaret set sail from Liverpool. They were to take over a small day and boarding school that had been started by another community which was said to have been called St Catherine’s but the two or three sisters became ill and left. No other information can be found about them.
Sr Dorothy wrote that that first voyage was strange and exciting. Takoradi Harbour had not been built in those days. They landed at Sekondi having been swung off the large ship into a surf boat with the help of a ‘mammy chair’. This was like a big swing made from wood which held four people. The sisters were met by Archdeacon Sugget who lived in Sekondi. He took the sisters to his home, gave them tea and promised to see that all their luggage came off the boat and was sent to Cape Coast. The sisters set off on the journey to Cape Coast with no possessions in an ancient car. When the car was not far from Cape Coast it began to go dark and there were no lights on the car, so the driver borrowed two hurricane lanterns which they attached to the front mudguard. Another story says that some young boys ran ahead of the car carrying the lanterns.
When they arrived at the house that had been prepared for them, Acquah’s Hotel in Aboom Road people were waiting to greet them and there were lots of laughter and handshakes. They climbed the rickety stairs to the first floor where they would live. To their astonishment, there were only two beds and no mosquito nets. Two sisters lay down and tried to sleep while the other two sat on chairs and tried to keep the mosquitos away from all of them. Halfway through the night, they changed places.
It was a very exciting beginning. Next day all the luggage arrived so they were able to unpack. The first school bell was a metal rim of a tyre hanging from a tree. This did not last very long as some children stole it. Acquah’s Hotel had an interesting history as it had been used by gold diggers and soldiers. The sisters did not like it or think it was very suitable much to the disappointment of the Bishop but they stayed there for five years.
There were thirty day girls and thirty boarders in the school. It was very crowded and there was nowhere for them to play. The neighbours rose early and sang hymns so the sisters wakened up to the sound of hymns like ‘art thou weary, art though languid’.
There was a matron who looked after the Boarders. Every morning, she rushed from the basement to the third floor organising the girls’ domestic duties. Sister Lilla saw the cook, the washmen, and the carpenter and gave them their work for the day. Sr Dorothy taught and attended to all the needs such as, ’please, the rain has spoilt the verandah, a certain man wants to see you’. One day a dust storm swept through the compound when all the washing was on the line and it all had to be washed again. Dinner was a movable feast depending on what time cook came back from market especially when it was raining. After Compline at the end of the day, bowls and buckets were set out in all the places where the roof leaked in case it rained during the night.
The work grew quickly and soon the Education Department asked the sisters to undertake the training of local women as teachers. This led to the sisters opening a new house in Ashanti, Mampong.
In 1931 it was no longer possible to cope with running a school and living in Acquah’s Hotel so they rented another house in Aboom Road which was big enough to accommodate a school for boys and girls. They stayed there for seven years.
In 1936, Sister Dorothy decided that the school needed a permanent home for St Monica’s School. For the last few years, they had sold used postage stamps and empty bottles, had sales of work and jumble sales and begged donations from friends in order to save enough money to buy a property. Then, one day, they were told that a large house, being built further along Aboom Road was to be sold but it was not finished. The story was that an employer of the United Trading Company diverted bags of cement to a village along the coast when cement was unloaded from a ship. It was documented as ‘so many bags lost at sea’ but those bags were building him a house. This was the house that was now for sale as he had been caught. The price was £2500 which was cheap considering the size of the property but it needed to be completed and alterations made to make it suitable for a school. The sisters did not have the cash to pay for it all so they paid by yearly instalments. This meant that the interest costs an extra £1000. The sisters also needed £1200 to complete the alterations. Many generous local people made donations and the money was raised.
In September 1936 the house was ready and the move began. Every girl carried her desk on her head and put it in her classroom then ran back to see what else they could carry until everything was in its place in the new school. A lorry was hired to carry the large, heavy furniture. The Bishop visited the school on November 5th to bless the building and officially open the new St Monica’s School. Because of its grand shape, local people soon began to call it Buckingham Palace after the Queen’s residence in London. Some years later the Palace Hotel was opened opposite the school.
The Boarders and the Training College which had been started in Cape Coast moved to Mampong in 1936 and the decision had been made that the new school would be a girls’ day school, but from time to time a small group of girls did live at the school and were known as the house girls. They were cared for and in return, they did small jobs in the house.
Sister Dorothy wrote that during the next few years, the school grew and grew. It was a real financial struggle to pay for the house and keep up with all that needed to be done but they were wonderfully helped and will never forget the generosity and kindness of the Cape Coast people. They always managed to have just enough to pay the bills.
In 1943 Sister Lilla left St Monica’s and returned to England.
In 1947, the Prioress was concerned about the sisters and the school as the political situation in the Gold Coast was critical. There had been riots in the area. Schools had been closed for three weeks.
The sisters helped in the Parish with Mothers Union and Confirmation Classes. Many women were not able to join the Mothers’ Union because they had not been married in a church and they did not speak English. A Mothers’ Union group was formed for ladies who do not speak English. Seventy two women and girls were confirmed. The school was running smoothly but many girls were not academic and something needed to be done about teaching more practical subjects such as Domestic Science and Needlework. This was a reality all over the country. The Education Office would not accept this and said that it would be going backward.
Throughout 1948 the standard of work was good but there was still room for improvement. The exam results were good and many pupils had gained entrance to Secondary School or Training College. Confirmation Classes continued.
In 1949 it was just reported that the School was running smoothly.
By 1950 there were 260 day girls. Work was good, but exam results disappointing and discipline was difficult to control. The unrest in the country was beginning to affect everyone. Sister Gladys Mary arrived and lived in Cape Coast for two years but she was mainly responsible for Mother’s Union work.
In 1951 Sister Dorothy bought a strip of land adjacent to the school from the Seychere family to ensure the privacy of the sisters and school.
Sister Dorothy was still living alone in 1953. It was hoped that a sister would soon be found to join her. There were 300 girls in the school. Sr Dorothy was Head of the Middle School and Miss Jefferies was Head of the primary school. An inspection had been held. The buildings and equipment were good but the teaching was not so favourable. The teachers were not using the methods they had been taught during training. Now that Primary Education was free the school had lost the £600 normally paid in fees. This had been used for equipment in the past.
In 1954 the Education Department was cutting costs. The headmistress had now to be a class teacher with a full teaching timetable. This affected the necessary supervision of Pupil Teachers. They also decided that there was no need to have a Standard seven class.
In 1955 there were 292 children in the school. Thirty four girls were confirmed and thirteen girls from church were also prepared by the sisters. Sr Dorothy was now head of both schools. There were 11 teachers all of whom were very good. The Inspection report was good.
There were 288 pupils in 1956 with a staff of eleven including 2 pupil teachers. Thirty five girls took Common Entrance. Nine passed and seven went to Mampong. One went to Wesley Girls’ High School and one to Holy Child. Ten out of twenty four passed the Middle School Leaving Certificate several with distinctions in English.
Miss Alberta Nicholas, a member of staff accepted a place at University and left in September.
Twenty girls were confirmed in November but Church attendance was not very good.
By 1957 there was a mass in Chapel twice a week. All the girls took part.
In the Middle School Arithmetic was the weakest subject. There was not a good spirit of work. Punctuality left much to be desired and discipline was slacked.
During 1958, Sr Gladys Mary did regular parish visiting. She held a Sunday school in Cape Coast Castle. Guides, Brownies and the Mothers Union met regularly.
1959 was a time of uncertainty. Things were moving rapidly and unexpectedly in Ghana. The sisters needed to decide what they would do if the Government takes over the school and refuses to let OHP run it. Should they run the house as a hostel for girls living outside Cape Coast?
In 1960, the government decided that the school year would be from August to August rather than January to January. It was a very short school year. There were 300 girls with good staff. Fourteen girls were confirmed and fourteen passed the Common Entrance. Only three out of fifteen passed the School leaving Cert. This is understandable as all the academically clever girls had left and gone to secondary school.
In 1961, the standard of teaching improved by the appointment of two new Cert A teachers. There were 5 married teachers on the staff which caused problems. Three had maternity leave. One member of staff was asked to resign.
The netball and rounders inter-school teams won every match. There were thirty nine girls in the Confirmation class. Sunday School classes were taken in the Castle and were very rewarding. The MU met at St Monica’s School and they conducted their own meetings. Mrs. Lutterodt was the enrolling member.
During 1962 the District Education Officer wrote demanding an entire change in the organisation of the school. For twenty years teachers had been allowed to specialise in a few subjects each and teach them in each class. This was to stop immediately and each teacher had just to teach her own class. He came in the next day to check that the change had been made. This was very difficult for staff and girls. Some of the teachers found it hard to keep discipline. Two had resorted to cruel methods for keeping order.
Church attendance has been much affected because Fr Elliott was loaned to Mampong. The children’s mass was stopped until he returned.
The headmistress and staff were very thrilled because the primary school was chosen as an “Experimental School” along with the University Primary School. This meant that class six children could be entered for Common Entrance. Thirteen in all passed and two went to Mampong. The girls won a silver cup in a regional drama competition, and the Inter-schools Rounders Cup. Fifty girls were prepared for confirmation. Sixteen form four girls passed the leaving certificate and four failed.
Staffing was a huge problem the whole year and caused much tension. During the last term, there had only been 12 days out of 54 when there was a full staff. Three teachers had each had a fortnight off. The M3 teacher had resigned because the discipline was too difficult to maintain. The House Girls living with the sisters at that time, with the exception of Josephine Allan the cook’s daughter, were noisy and unreliable.
The 1963 school year began with a full complement of staff and the standard of work had improved but there were huge problems with discipline. This is the case in all schools. Staff have little support from many parents. Mothers Union members are going round schools talking to the girls. The President expressed concern as this was nationwide. Part of the problem was the poor qualification and lack of teaching skills in many teachers. Nineteen girls passed common entrance and more than ever were confirmed. Every member of staff left the Middle school in September for either further study, marriage or transfer. It was hoped that the General Manager would be able to find qualified replacements. Sister Olive arrived from England and joined the staff. She would make a big difference.
In 1964, the primary School was full but there are only 40 girls in the Middle School. This is mainly because a large number passed Common Entrance in Primary (P6) and Middle Form 1. Twenty went this year. The Regional Education Officer feels that the numbers do not justify having four teachers. The sisters offered to take girls from larger schools to increase the numbers but also to increase their chances of passing the exam. The school was fully staffed at the beginning of the school year. Sr Olive was teaching in the upper primary. Sister Rachel arrived in Cape Coast and was teaching. A sister gave the address at Sunday Children’s Mass and Sr Olive played the organ. Sadly Sister Olive became sick during the year and had to return to England.
Guides and Brownies met regularly, and Sister Moira arrived in September and was appointed headmistress. Everyone had enjoyed St Monica’s day and the beach picnic. Canon Amoah had celebrated mass. There had been two sets of students on teaching practice including two from the University Science Department teaching a 4 week topic on ‘the properties of air.’ These were the first science lesson our girls had ever had.
In 1966 there was still a full staff and discipline had improved except in Classes three and four where there are pupil teachers. Guides and brownies continued and were very popular. Two brownies have gained 1st class badges. They were the only two in Ghana to have reached this level.
Exam results were disappointing. The sisters appealed to the General Manager for better teachers. Some teachers refused to be posted to St Monica’s because they knew that the sisters had very high standards and they would have to work very hard. It was decided that there would no longer be house-girls. The Sisters would employ a cook and cleaner.
Thirty eight girls sat Common Entrance. Three sat a recently introduced exam for the Technical Institute. Two pupil teachers sat the Training College entrance exam.
In 1967, 229 girls were in the primary school and 91 in middle school with only 9 in Form Four due to the success of many girls in Common Entrance. All grants were paid in full and school was running well.
In January 1968, Sister Dorothy Stella arrived in Cape Coast. The plan was that she should learn Fante and not teach until September. However, due to the fact that a pupil teach could neither control the class nor teach the children, Sister Dorothy Stella taught primary two from March to the end of the year without receiving a salary and the pupil-teacher translated when necessary. The children’s English improved quickly. Sister Rachel left at the end of the school year.
The school came first in a local handicraft competition.
Mrs Kinsten Grant (Swedish) joined the Staff in August to teach Science. Fifty girls were confirmed.
In 1969 the Prioress asked Chapter if they would consider the possibility of withdrawing from Cape Coast. There was a long discussion. Sister Barbara Maude said that the two sisters Moira and Dorothy Stella had completely turned the school round. The Exam results were the best they have ever had. It was now an “Experimental Primary School”. Sr Audrey said that it would be morally wrong to hand it over to the Diocese at this point. No decision was made. The Prioress would be visiting Cape Coast in the following months.
A discussion again took place at Chapter about the future of Cape Coast. Both sister Moira and Dorothy Stella were both prepared to work under a Ghanaian headmistress if this was what should happen. There were many possibilities listed of other work that could be done from the house including Vocational work. There was room for 5 sisters in the house. The house must be self-supporting and if the sisters were not teaching, then they would have to earn enough money to live on.
Sr Moira had introduced some Vocational Training into the Middle School to help the girls to see how they could find employment. They learned how to do tie and dye. Costume dolls were being sold to tourists at the Cape Coast Castle. They also bought day old broiler chicks and reared them. They were sold to Kingsway Store. Guinea Pigs were also reared and sold to the University.
Thirty four out of forty including sixteen from Primary 6 passed Common Entrance and eleven out of fourteen passed Middle School leaving Certificate. The sisters spent a lot of time visiting Secondary Schools and making sure that all the girls had a place. They also found the fees for some girls who would not have otherwise been able to take up the place. An Old Girls Association was formed and they had two meetings. Between thirty and forty have registered.
The sisters reintroduced house girls. Faustina Owusu Ansah, Hagar Thompson, Christina and Rose Noonoo were the first girls to stay with the sisters until they went to Secondary School in Mampong.
In 1972. Thirty six out of forty passed Common Entrance and fifteen out of eighteen passed the Leaving Certificate. The girls worked very hard to achieve such good results. Extra classes were held on Tuesday and Thursday after school and all Saturday morning.
Apart from teaching, the sisters continued to take Sunday Services in Secondary Schools and Colleges and Confirmation Classes at Holy Child and Wesley Girls for Anglican Students. Sr Dorothy Stella taught Sunday school at the Mission while Sr Moira supervised children’s mass in the church.
There are also brownies, guides and confirmation classes. On Independence Day the school came first in the Primary School and Middle School for being the smartest school.
In 1973 the school continued to run well with a good staff. Exam results continued to be excellent.
Sister Moira would cease to be headmistress on August 31st, 1974. Miss Rachel Pobee was appointed headmistress by the Ministry of Education with Mrs. Wilhelmina Hayfron as Deputy.
The enrolment in the primary school was too high. There were over 40 girls in every classroom meant to hold 30 pupils. A new Department called St Monica’s Pre-Vocational School opened in September and Sr Moira would concentrate on teaching Vocational subjects. Girls from five other school that had no Domestic Science department or craft training attended the Centre.
Miss Comfort Otoo and Diana Abruquah joined the staff to teach Home Science and Mrs. Grace Pieterson general subjects and hairdressing.
In 1976 the sisters continued to work as usual with Miss Pobee as headmistress. Sr Moira worked on the Vocational Continuation School. Sister Dorothy Stella taught Primary 6.
It had been decided that the sisters would move from Cape Coast to a new project in Bolgatanga, and Sister Moira would move in August to begin the next academic year. The Cape Coast School would be 50 years old in October then, and Sr Dorothy Stella stayed until after the Jubilee to help make the preparations.
Mother Marguerite, Sisters Dorothy, and Miriam came from Whitby, England for the Jubilee. The property had then been valued by the Lands Department and was handed over to the Diocese.
The week after the Golden Jubilee the OHP sisters officially handed over the school to the Anglican Church of Ghana and moved to the new project in Bolgatanga.