Senior High Schools in Ghana: Pope John Senior High School and Minor Seminary

Pope John Senior High School and Minor Seminary (formerly St John’s Seminary and College, nicknamed POJOSS), is an all-boys boarding school, located at Effiduase, Koforidua, in the Eastern Region of Ghana.

It was established in 1958 by Bishop Joseph Oliver Bowers SVD as a Catholic seminary for boys who wished to become priests. Students are offered courses such as general arts, general science, business and visual arts to pursue and after their stay in the school, sit an external examination called the West African Senior School Certificate Examination to be placed in any of the tertiary institutions in the country.

Logo of Pope John Senior High School and Minor Seminary

The students of the school are usually referred to as Pojomma while the alumni are addressed as Pojoba, to which they respond Daasebre. Since its establishment in 1958, the school has achieved many successes and has produced great men for Ghana and the world over. There are 2100 boys in the school.

On 8 November 1953, Bishop Joseph Oliver Bowers SVD, Catholic Bishop of the then Diocese of Accra, now Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Accra came to the New Juabeng Traditional Area in Eastern Region, Ghana on his first pastoral visit.

SRC Executives of Pope John Senior High School and Minor Seminary

He held discussions with Nana Frempong Mposo II, chief of the area, which led to the Roman Catholic Church mission acquiring land at Effiduase in Koforidua. Father Anthony Bauer and Fr. Henk Janseen were then asked to survey the land and their report was favourable.

Early in 1955, Bishop J. O. Bowers decided to build a junior seminary for the Diocese of Accra on that land. In January 1955, Fr. Jude SVD, Dr. Balduricus, and Dr. Lucian Orians came to construct the first buildings, one classroom block, and a combined Fathers’ residence and administrative block.

In early 1957, Dr. Damian Brockmann SVD constructed the first Science Block. Today in its place stands a students’ dormitory called Elsbend House, named after the first headmaster.

In October 1957, Bishop Bowers appointed Rev. Fr. Alphonse Elsbend as the first Headmaster and Seminary Rector, assisted by Rev. John O’Sullivan and Rev. Joseph Skorupka and Bismark Sosu. The school’s chapel was constructed the following year in 1958.

POJOSS follows the Ghanaian educational Senior High School curriculum, operating in a three-year academic cycle, from form one to form three.

Students are taught throughout the year, over a period of three academic terms. The first term of the academic year marks the enrollment of form one students to the school while the third term marks the graduation of form three students.

The programmes run by the school include General Science, General Arts, Business and Visual Arts. Form one applicants select four Elective courses. Unlike Elective courses, core courses are offered to all students, irrespective of their programme of study.

The core courses in the school are: English language, core mathematics, social studies, integrated science, ICT and physical education, however, students are only examined externally, in the first five aforementioned courses. There are subjects taught which are unique to the school because of its attachment to a seminary. They are Religion, Doctrine studies, Latin and Music.

Available Facilities

Pope John Senior High School and Minor Seminary has an ultramodern Science laboratory, a state of the arts I.C.T center, a library, a multipurpose athletic field, a basketball and volleyball court, among a host of others.

The school’s Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), the SRC, Roman Catholic Church, and the POJOBA have contributed to the development of these facilities in the school. The school’s administration makes sure that these facilities are effectively utilized to enhance teaching and learning in the school.

Houses

There are currently seven houses available for boarding students who require a stay throughout a term:

• Pope John Seminary (Pope john House)
• Bishop Bowers House
• Nana Frempong Mposo House
• Alphonse Elsbernd House
• Paul Boakye House
• Fr. Amos Fredric’s House
• Most Rev. Leon Badikebele Kalenga House.

Notable Alumni

• Archbishop Charles G. Palmer-Buckle, Metropolitan Archbishop of Cape Coast
• Joseph Boateng Danquah, Former Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) of the Ghana Armed Forces and Member of Council of State
• Major General William Omane Agyekum, Commandant of Military Academy and Training Schools
• Brigadier General Kweku Asamoah Yeboah, Director General of International Peace Support Operations, Ghana Armed Forces
• William Otoo Ellis, former Vice-Chancellor of KNUST
• Edward Omane Boamah, Former Minister of Communications
• Ebenezer Okletey Terlabi, MP for Lower Manya Krobo and Former Deputy Minister of Defence
• Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Minister of Information and MP for Ofoasi/Ayirebi
• D-Black, Hip-hop star, and Entrepreneur
• Franklin Cudjoe, Founder and President of IMANI Centre for Policy and Education

Contact and Address:

Address: P. O. Box 370 Koforidua, Eastern Region Koforidua, Ghana

Phone Contact: 034 2022265 / 034 2024511