Gender – Boys
Housing status – Day and Boarding
Year of Establishment – 1978
The late bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sunyani, Most Rev. James Kwadwo Owusu, created St. James Seminary, a senior high school, in Sunyani, Ghana’s capital city. It is a Catholic Minor Seminary in addition to a Senior High School, providing a wealth of chances for both non-Seminarians and seminarians to realise their potential and reach it. The school places a strong emphasis on developing moral, spiritual, and constructive character traits in addition to aiming for academic achievement. After consistently placing among the top ten performing schools in the West African Examinations Council’s Senior School Certificate Exams (WASSCE) during the previous 10 years, St. James has been named the finest senior high school in Ghana. It generated the best overall and third-best candidates in West Africa in the 2016 exam, and it won the WASSCE in 2006, 2009, and 2011.
Students of St. James are nicknamed ‘The Saints’ to tout their high moral uprightness and spirituality akin to the characteristics of saints. An alumnus of St. James Seminary Senior High School is openly called “Ɔhotenii” (pl. Ahotefoɔ), the Twi word for a saint.
VISION
The goal of St. James Seminary Senior High School is to be the premier Second Cycle Institution, producing young men who are morally upright, intellectually strong, and capable of critical thought. These men can go on to pursue professional degrees and reach their full potential in providing dedicated service to humanity.
MISSION
The goal of St. James Seminary Senior High School is to develop responsible, selfless, and godly young men who will become leaders who can benefit both the Church and the State, as well as highly knowledgeable, highly motivated, and diligent seminarians who will become priests for the Catholic Church.
History
The late Most Rev. James Owusu, the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sunyani, founded St. James Seminary Senior High School in 1978. 14 students were admitted to St. James Seminary in its first year of operation as a private school, despite initial opposition and discouragement from many places. Monsignor Robert Mensah Abrampah served as the institution’s first rector. The ensuing rectors would have enormous operational and academic obstacles to the point where they would have to depend on a small number of teachers to teach a wide range of disciplines. A tale is related of Monsignor Dr. George Kwame Kumi, the present vicar general of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sunyani, who spent many years teaching biology, chemistry, and physics by himself. In the early years, St. James pupils were also taught by part-time teachers from Sunyani Secondary School, one of the school’s current rivals.
Later assistance would arrive with the relocation of Rev. Fr. Joseph Glatzel (SVD), a former headmaster of Nkwatia-Kwahu’s St. Peter’s Boys Senior High School, to Yamfo to work in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sunyani. All by himself, Rev. Fr. Glatzel oversaw and provided funding for the building of the school’s main classroom blocks as well as the first staff bungalow.During the school’s early years, a number of prominent educators provided invaluable support, including Charles Oko Agyeman, Reverend Father John McVoy (who later became the second rector), Rev. Sr. Gerald (Missionary Sisters Servants of the Holy Spirit), Monsignor John Oppong Baah, the first female teacher, and Reverend Brother Joe Tsiquaye (Congregation of Holy Cross), among others.
The institution trained seminarians under Ghana’s previous educational system and took part in the Ordinary Level Examinations for the General Certificate of Education (GCE) administered by the West African Examinations Council. Every year, St. James students consistently yield flawless outcomes. However, in 1994, the Bishop consented to allow non-seminarians to study alongside seminarians at St. James Seminary in order to ensure that everyone would benefit from the high standards of academic and moral discipline there. This was primarily because the Catholic faithful in the Sunyani Diocese had called for the establishment of a boys’ school to provide for their sons’ secondary education. The hope was that future laity, Catholic and non-Catholic, would get to know one another and develop friendly working ties both inside and outside the church.
In 1994, St. James Seminary Secondary School received government assistance. Since then, the church has been granted exclusive control over the school’s management. Positive cooperation has been observed between non-seminarians and seminarians.
St. James provides business studies, general science, and general arts courses at the high school level.
Houses
St. Kizito is named after the patron saint of children and the youngest of the Martyrs of Uganda who was burned alive at the age of 13–14. They wear RED jerseys.
St. Charles Lwanga is also named after another one of the Martyrs of Uganda who is now adopted as the patron saint of converts, torture victims, and the African Catholic Youth Action. Students of this house wear BLUE jerseys
St. Thomas Aquinas is named after the influential Italian philosopher, theologian, and jurist regarded as the model teacher for would-be priests, and the foremost proponent of natural theology. Aquinas boys wear the GREEN jerseys.
St. Augustine’s house is named after the early Christian theologian, philosopher, and bishop of Hippo Regius in North Africa whose writings and proclamations influenced the development of Western Christianity. Students of this house wear the YELLOW jerseys.
Achievements
• WAEC’s Distinction Award for Producing The Second Overall Best Candidate in the 2021 Ghana WASSCE, Master Kwaku Ohene-Amoani.
• WAEC’s Distinction Award for Producing The Third Overall Best Candidate in the 2021 Ghana WASSCE, Master Ransaford Nana Agyei Korang.
• WAEC’s Distinction Award for Producing The Best Candidate in The Business Programme in the 2021 Ghana WASSCE, Master Onyashiembor Sito.
• WAEC’s Distinction Award for Producing The Best Candidate in The General Programme (Arts Option) in the 2021 Ghana WASSCE, Master Francis Abokua.
• Bono-Ahafo Zonal Champions, 2022 Ghana National Science and Maths Quiz (NSMQ).
• Best Performing SHS at WASSCE Science. Received from Ghana Education Service in 2017.
• WAEC’s Distinction Award for Producing The Overall Best Candidate, WASSCE, West Africa and The Third Best Candidate, Ghana in the 2016 WASSCE.
• Runners-up of the 2013 National Debate Competition.
• Winners of the 2013 Queen mother’s 40th Anniversary Debate Competition.
• Best academic performing school in WASSCE since 2011.
• Topped the 2009 WASSCE ranking table.
• Winners of the 2007 National Jubilee Debate organized by the Ghana Education Service.
• Topped the 2006 WASSCE ranking table.
• Winners of the 2005 National Quiz Competition on Human Rights organized by the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ).
• Winners of the 2004 regional quiz on Horticulture organized by Parks and Gardens.
• Winners of the 2004 Quiz on HIV/AIDS organized by ActionAid Ghana.
• WAEC’s Distinction Award for Producing The Second Best Candidate in the July/August 2004 WASSCE.
• Overall best student in the 2003 Northern Sector Debate on the Vice President’s Campaign against Indiscipline, Master Augustine Abugri.
• Winner of the 2000 Millennium Essay on conditions for sustainable national development, Master Osei Anim Leonard.
SCHOOL STATISTICS
- No. of Students (SHS 1): 280
- No. of Students (SHS 2): 457
- No. of Students (SHS 3): 297
SCHOOL FACILITIES
- Library
- Computer Lab
- Boarding Facilities
- Assembly Hall
- Dining Hall
- Science Labs
