HISTORY OF TAMALE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Tamale Secondary School (TAMASCO), now known as Tamale Senior High School, was the first secondary school established in Northern Ghana. The school was founded at a time when the struggle for Ghana’s independence had gained significant momentum, alongside growing and unwavering demands for the establishment of a secondary school in the northern part of the country.
One of the primary objectives behind the establishment of this institution was to bridge the widening human resource capacity gap between the Northern and Southern parts of the then British Colony. Consequently, TAMASCO was officially opened in January 1951 as the first secondary school in the Northern Territories, under the name Government Secondary School.
The school started with twenty (20) boys and had Rahim Gbadamosi as the first Senior Prefect. Mr. R. N. Bryant, the then Northern Territories Education Officer acted as the headmaster. The year 1958 was a landmark for the school as it marked the admission of the school’s first batch of female students with Helena Akuamoah as the Girls’ Prefect. That same year, the school admitted its first batch of “Special Scholars.” Under the Special Scholarship Scheme, teachers with exceptional academic potential were given the opportunity to enroll in the school, sit for their ‘O’ and ‘A’ Level Examinations and subsequently advance to the university.
The name of the school changed several times. In November 1972, from the initial name of Government Secondary School, it was changed to Gbewaa Secondary School and after a year, it was again changed to Tamale Secondary School, to reflect the cosmopolitan nature of the city. Later, it was changed to its current name Tamale Senior High School, in line with government change of nomenclature of pre-tertiary schools in Ghana in 2007.
Mr. I. E. A. Hayfron, a pioneer tutor and Senior Housemaster, gave the school its Latin motto: Fortiter, Fideliter, Feliciter – meaning “Bravely, Faithfully and Happily,” respectively. The school crest was designed by Mumuni Kadiri, who was then a Form 3 student. Mr. Osafo, the school’s second Music teacher, composed the school anthem, The Glory of our School. This melodious anthem was later popularized by Mr. Ammon Kotey in the early 1970s.
Cadetting was and continues to be, the most outstanding co-curricular activity in TAMASCO. The Cadet Corps, which was established in February 1953 and officially inaugurated in February 1954 had Col. (Rtd.) David Amadu Iddisah as the first Cadet Sergeant. It was the first Cadet Corps in second cycle institutions in Ghana.
Presently, the Cadet holds training and drill sessions at the famous Parsons Square, named after St. Jean Parsons, the first civilian teacher of the school who took keen interest and saw to the rapid growth and development of cadetting in TAMASCO. In 1989, the legendary Jamaican reggae musician, Jimmy Cliff, performed for schools in the Education Ridge at Parsons Square.
In the 1970s, a number of Tamascans won scholarships through the American Field Service Programme, an international educational exchange programme in which students studied abroad while living with host families.
In October 1971, Mr. John Naple, an American Peace Corps volunteer who taught Biology at the school, introduced basketball to TAMASCO. The first team played on an improvised court created from an abandoned lawn tennis court located along the road in front of Bagabaga Demonstration Primary School. The game he introduced in such a humble manner quickly gained popularity within the school and beyond, propelling many Old Tamascans to prominence and others to national fame.
In November 1972, following the transfer of the then Headmaster, Mr. Benjamin Obido Aryettey, to Anum Secondary School in the Eastern Region, TAMASCO was privileged to have one of its pioneer old boys, Alhaji Rahim Gbadamosi, assume leadership of the school.
In the 1972/73 academic year, two of the school’s four student residential houses were renamed. Lincoln House became Kwame Nkrumah House while Livingstone House was renamed Pattinson House. These changes were made in line with TAMASCO’s new policy that school facilities and infrastructure should be named only after individuals who had made meaningful contributions to or maintained significant connections with the school either directly or indirectly.
In 1974, the Music Department proposed the establishment of a school band which was subsequently approved. The band initially known as Oracles’74 featured in national competitions organized by the Centre for National Culture for secondary schools in the country. At the local level, the band performed for sister schools at their entertainment programmes and when they had other important functions. The band became the toast of students as many learnt to play some of the musical instruments the band had acquired. However, along the line, the name of the band was changed to Frozen Fire.
Still in 1974, TAMASCO established a sister-school relationship with Prytanée Militaire de Kadiogo (PMK) in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, a military secondary school dedicated to training young cadres for national service and leadership. The key aspects of this relationship were that it was designed to foster Pan-African unity and improve language skills. This relationship involved regular reciprocal visits. Particularly, TAMASCO students travelled to Ouagadougou for French immersion and cultural exposure while PMK students visited Tamale to practice English and participate in joint sporting events.
Initially, the exchange programme involved students in Form 4 and Lower 6th Form offering French Language for their Ordinary and Advanced levels respectively. The initial benefits of the exchange programme whipped up so much interest in the learning of French so it had to be extended to cover Form three (3) students. The relationship mirrored the broader ‘sister city’ ties between Tamale and Ouagadougou. It must be noted that Naa Saaka Bolina, then a senior French teacher at the school, was closely associated with the programme and played a significant role in promoting it.
In January 1976, TAMASCO celebrated its first major milestone, the Silver Jubilee. The anniversary logo was designed by Mr. James Kweku Usher of the Arts Department. The school’s first substantive Headmaster, Mr. J. G. A. Pattinson, was invited from the United Kingdom to participate in the celebration. He remained in the school for a few months afterwards during which he taught English Language.
It was also during the Silver Jubilee Celebration that a sod was cut for the construction of the Colonel Roger Joseph Atogetipoli Felli Assembly Hall. Since then, the school has marked several major anniversaries, including the Ruby, Golden, Diamond, Sapphire and most recently, the Platinum Jubilee in December 2021. In September of the 1976/77 academic year, two additional houses – Hayfron House and Gbewaa House – were established. Following this development, students were reshuffled and evenly distributed among the six houses. Later, in 2010, Rahim Gbadamosi House was added and in 2021, the eighth house, Mahamudu Bawumia House, was established.
TAMASCO, a Category A school, has been known for its creditable performance in the National Science and Maths Quiz since the inception of the competition. The school also boasts of a strong tradition of success in the Milo-sponsored inter-school sports festivals, having won the national soccer championship as well as several other prestigious honours.
TAMASCO is noted for its high institutional standards, robust infrastructure and competitive student intake. Academic work in Tamale Senior High School is balanced with a vibrant array of co-curricular activities. The school places heavy emphasis on sports, debate and cultural activities, ensuring a holistic development that builds leadership and discipline among its student body.
TAMASCO remains a cornerstone of high school education in Ghana. It is, therefore, not surprising that the school has produced numerous leaders and professionals serving in various capacities within Ghana and abroad. Tamale Secondary School, famously known as the “Northern Light,” played a pivotal role in the establishment of several secondary schools across Northern Ghana. Whenever a new secondary school was to be established, it was common practice to appoint a teacher or alumni of TAMASCO to spearhead its development, owing to the school’s reputation as a breeding ground for leadership and excellence.
Since its inception, TAMASCO has had students as well as teaching and non-teaching staff drawn from all the major continents of the world with the exception of Antarctica.
Notably, at the beginning of the Ninth Parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana, TAMASCO counted as its alumni as many as eleven (11) Members of Parliament and the Rt. Hon. Speaker of Parliament.
Currently, the school runs a Single-track system and has a student population of 5,586 comprising 2,740 boys and 2,846 girls. The TAMASCO Family continues to take pride in our identity as “The Northern Light” that never goes off as we stand and strive for the glory of our school.
The School Anthem
Verse 1
Our Tamale Secondary School, Has a wonderful opportunity,
To be the light of Northern Ghana.
Refrain
We her children must be bold and brave, Sincere and faithful, happy and gay,
We stand and strive for the glory of our School.
Verse 2
Our dreams and vision thrive,
We forge ahead with hopeful hearts,
With pride and unity, we raise our banner high