Presbyterian Boys’ Secondary School (PRESEC-Legon) on Saturday, November 29, celebrated its 87th Speech and Prize-Giving Day with a colourful ceremony that brought together ministers of state, old students, government officials, and parents.
This year’s event was powered by the Ɔdadeɛ 2000 Year Group (Y2K), who were praised for delivering a well-organised celebration and a major project for the school.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who is also a proud old student, served as the guest speaker.
He told the gathering that he felt “humbled and profoundly honoured” to be chosen for the occasion by the year group that was just a year behind him at school.
Speaking on the theme, “Celebrating Our Heritage, Shaping Future Leaders Through Discipline and Academic Excellence,” he stressed that PRESEC’s heritage was a living legacy rooted in faith, discipline, scholarship and integrity.
“When we celebrate PRESEC’s heritage, we celebrate a heritage of faith grounded in Presbyterian values, a heritage of discipline, a heritage of academic excellence recognised across Ghana and beyond, and a heritage of integrity which holds every Odadeɛ to a higher standard,” he said.
Speaking on the rising national debate over mission schools and religious practice in second-cycle institutions, the minister said Ghana must not lose sight of the lessons its schools have taught about unity and coexistence.
According to him, the country’s “remarkable and enviable religious and ethnic tolerance” has been strengthened largely through the secondary school system, especially boarding schools.
“Ghana has hitherto been celebrated globally for our religious tolerance. Let’s not lose it,” he cautioned, referencing examples from the National Chief Imam and global religious leaders to underline the importance of mutual respect.
He recalled that when he entered the school in 1997, students with different surnames and backgrounds shared the same house and formed lasting friendships.
“Our secondary school architecture, particularly the boarding configuration, has been the most potent antidote to discrimination and prejudice.”
Ablakwa questioned why the national conversation now focuses on strict doctrinal enforcement instead of the true challenges facing education.
“Why is our educational system producing graduates who lack ethical leadership… who destroy our environment… who commit the state to unconscionable transactions?”
“These,” he said, “are the weightier matters.”
The Foreign Affairs Minister also reflected on the role PRESEC played in shaping his own leadership journey. He stated that the discipline, academic rigour, and competitive spirit within the school prepared him long before he entered public service.
“PRESEC prepares leaders,” he said. “Leadership began in PRESEC, in House 5.”
He praised the school’s commitment to academic excellence, describing it as a deliberate and sustained culture.
He added that the values he learned at PRESEC continue to guide his work, including recent reforms at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs such as the introduction of chip-embedded passports, clearing passport backlogs, securing visa waiver agreements, negotiating improved conditions for Ghana’s foreign service, and winning Ghana’s removal from former US President Donald Trump’s visa restrictions.
Ablakwa also gave out 47 laptops to all 47 PRESEC students who scored eight As in the 2024 WASSCE. He added that the 2025 top three performers would receive an international travel opportunity with him.
The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Rt. Rev. Dr. Abraham Nana Opare Kwakye is his speech addressed the ongoing controversy over the rights of Muslim students in mission institutions.
He recounted how Ghana has historically enjoyed peaceful interfaith relations, unlike other countries he encountered during academic engagements abroad.
“I was teaching at a university and different speakers, speaker after speaker, mentioned the tensions that exist between Christians and people of other faiths in their countries.
“When it got to my turn, I remember telling the people there that it was not the case in my country. That in Ghana, Muslims do not mind going to church and Christians do not mind visiting Muslims,” he said.
He cited the example of the National Chief Imam’s visit to a Catholic Church during his 100th birthday celebration, as well as the Ga Presbytery’s annual tradition of visiting the Chief Imam during Ramadan.
The Moderator urged both religious communities and the state to act responsibly to maintain unity.
“I want to call on everyone in this country, it is important that we respect the rights of persons of other religions. But it is also important for persons of other religions who access education in mission schools to respect the rights of the owners of the mission schools. The Headmaster of Presec-Legon, Mr David Odjidja, in his speech, major challenges the school continues to face despite support from the government, old boys, and the Presbyterian Church.
“Mr Chairman, in spite of the support we received from stakeholders, particularly government, old boys, and the church, we are still grappling with some challenges due to the continuous increase in enrollment. The head boy mentioned some of them.”
He said that the school is currently facing a severe shortage of furniture across various facilities.
“I want to emphasise, as we speak, we have a deficit when it comes to furniture in the classroom, in the dormitory, in the library, in the dining hall, and anywhere students gather,” he said.
He added that the population size continues to strain the school’s ability to hold gatherings.
“We have inadequate space for any school gathering, and that is a very important issue for us. Assembly, church service, entertainment are all done outside, and when it threatens to rain, the game will be over.”
Mr Odjidja also highlighted staffing and accommodation concerns.
“We need more teachers on campus. Even though we run the double-track system, at any point in time, we have about 4,000 students in school, and monitoring becomes a challenge. We’ll be grateful to have additional accommodation for staff on campus.”
Touching on the state of the school’s laboratories, he noted that although six labs exist, half are unusable.
“Our labs are poorly equipped. As we speak, we have six labs. The three labs the church gave to us and the three the government gave to us two years ago still remain locked because we don’t have anything there for students to use.”
He further outlined the infrastructure needed for the school to successfully transition from the double-track to single-track system in line with the government’s 2027–2028 target.
“Our roadmap to single-track, in line with government’s policy to transition all double-track schools to single-track by 2027 and 2028 academic year, the school will need the underlisted priority projects. For PRESEC to transition from double-track to single-track, we need a 48-unit classroom block with furniture. We need a 2,000-capacity dormitory block.
“We need a 3,000-capacity dining hall, a 6,000-capacity auditorium, 15 additional science labs, and six additional computer labs. I think the government alone cannot provide all this. I want to call on our stakeholders, particularly, to assist the government in helping PRESEC transition very soon.”
He expressed gratitude to all supporters for the schools ongoing development “On behalf of management and the PRESEC community, Mr Chairman, permit me to thank all stakeholders for their continuous support. I want to thank the board and the members of the board. I want to thank our PTA for their continuous support and individuals who continue to donate to help solve some of our problems.”
A representative of the Ministry of Education delivered a message on behalf of the Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, and the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service, Professor N.S. Kofi Davis.
Praising the school’s legacy, she said, “PRESEC stands out today for academic excellence, discipline, and the development of outstanding leaders for this country.”
She added that the school’s history is “not just about buildings, colours or traditions. It is about a community that has upheld strong ideals and done great for decades.”
Referencing the school’s achievements, she said that “your National Science and Maths Quiz, the senior high school renewable energy challenge in which you are the 2025 champions… all show this heritage.”
She also stressed the importance of discipline, stating, “The theme discipline to shape future leaders reminds us that being a leader without discipline is pointless and having discipline without a goal is pointless.”
To the graduating class, she encouraged them to stay grounded, telling them, “Discipline will set you apart. Keep your integrity safe and help you make choices in a world that changes quickly.” She reminded them that excellence goes beyond grades: “Being excellent isn’t just getting good grades, it’s also being curious, able to think critically, work well with others, come up with new ideas and be brave to question what you believe you know.”
She reaffirmed the government’s commitment to improving education, saying, “The GES and for that matter the Ministry of Education is still committed to making changes to the curriculum, expanding STEM and TVET programmes, improving teacher skills, and building better infrastructure to help students like you.”
She expressed gratitude to stakeholders, noting that the Ministry is “very grateful to the headmaster, department, parents, alumni, the media, the student body and all those who love PRESEC and especially the Presbyterian Church of Ghana.”
Awards were presented to outstanding students, including first-year students who excelled in a test conducted in both core and elective subjects. Students in Form 2 were also recognised, and additional awards were given for excellence in sports.
A total of 47 students who scored 8As in the 2024 WASSCE were honoured with laptops and certificates.
After the ceremony, the Odadeɛ Y2K group, which powered this year’s Speech and Prize Giving Day, unveiled their legacy project, which is the refurbished dining hall.
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