Yaa Asantewaa Girls’ Senior High School (YAGSHS) was established in 1961 as part of the rapid educational expansion project pioneered by Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the first Ghanaian President after the independence of the country.
The school started in 1960 with seventy students.
The school was named after Yaa Asantewaa, the great historical revolutionary heroine and Queenmother of Ejisu, in the Ashanti Region of Ghana.
This short, smallish lady boldly led the Ashanti Kings in a war against the British colonialists in the year 1900.
For almost half a century, the school has turned out thousands of educated and well formed women who are in responsible positions in government, administration and business circles.
The school has recorded consistently excellent results, and we are not just complacent with the status quo.
It had an initial population of seventy (70) girls and the first headmistress was Mrs Gloria Aryee.
The School capacity grew to 300 by the late 60s and approximately 500 in the 70s and kept growing over the past decades.
Since then the school has grown to its present size of about two thousand and four hundred (2,400) girls.
The School has had a succession of 7 Head Mistresses and the current Head Mistress is
Ms. A. Eshun-Famiyeh. Much of the success and discipline can be attributed to Madam Tetteh, the third Headmistress (1962 – 1978) of the School.
Her foresight, strictness and commitment turned the girls to respectable and disciplined women to this day.
Her phrase “I’m teaching you girls to be good housewives” will forever go down to the School’s history.
However, in 1978, the students rebelled against her and demanded that the Schools’ priority should also be focused on first class education coupled with the discipline.
From its humble beginnings, the School has come a long way to take its rightful but long-overdue place, as one of the best institutions in Ghana.
The school has recorded consistently excellent results in the final exams and the good work will carry on for years to come.
Eventually the School achieved its Sixth Form status and has since continue its progression.
For over the last decades, the School has turned out thousands of educated and well-formed women holding responsible positions in governments, global organisations, education, hospitals fields and business circles (as in doctors, lawyers, journalists, nurses, entrepreneurs, teachers, etc.).
As well as a Dame in UK and of course excellent housewives, the famous phrase of Mrs Tetteh.
The School is expanding and no effort should be spared to continue the good work.
It has now become necessary to expand the infrastructure of the School with a student population now at about, 2,400.
Overcrowding is a common sight and students are at risk, exposed to frequent illness. To solve this more expansion projects are ongoing.
The school has a total land area of 168.3 acres. The then King of Ashanti, Otumfuo Nana Osei Tutu Agyeman Prempeh II consulted some of the chiefs in the area where the school would be located to give land for the institution.
These chiefs are
The Abenyasehene (formerly Afari)
Toprehene
Tiprihene
Consequently, the chiefs released a total land area of about 168.3 acres to the government.
The foundation stone was laid on behalf of the His Excellency
Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, founder of the Ghana Educational Trust by
Hon. Kofi Baako, the then Minister for Education and Information on 20th September 1959.
Name of Past Headmistresses
Mrs Blanch Gibson – 1960 – 1961
Mrs Gloria Aryee – 1961 – 1962
Mrs M. M. S. Tetteh – 1962 – 1978
Mrs Constance Murray – 1979 – 1986
Mrs Mary B. Ansong – 1987 – 2005
Mrs E. Malik-Jabir – 2005 – 2016
Ms. A. Eshun-Famiyeh – 2016 – date
Name of current Headmistress: – Asuande Eshun Famiyeh (Ms) She is not an old student
Email Address: info@yagshs.edu.gh
Website: yagshs.edu.gh
Phone: +233322050016
Sources : http://yagshs.edu.gh/about-us/brief-history/ and http://yaaasantewaa.co.uk/about-us/yaa-asantewaa-girls-senior-high-school/
