St. Augustine's College (Cape Coast)
| St. Augustine's College | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Cape Coast, Ghana | |
| Information | |
| Type | Public Secondary/High School |
| Motto | Omnia Vincit Labor |
| Established | 1930 |
| Staff | 82 |
| Enrollment | Yearly |
| Number of students | 1700+ |
| Color(s) |
Green and White |
| Athletics | Track And Field |
| Mascot | hippo |
| Nickname | Augusco |
| Affiliation | Roman Catholic |
| Address |
P. O. Box 98 Old Elmina Road Cape Coast, Ghana  |
| Telephone | +233 42 32129 |
St. Augustine’s College is an all-male academic institution in Cape Coast, Ghana. The school is on Old Elmina Road and is near the University of Cape Coast, on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean. The school started at Amissano, a village near Elmina, in 1930. The Roman Catholic institution was established to serve as a training college and seminary. The school was named after St. Augustine of Hippo (AD 354 – 430 AD). The motto of the college is Omnia Vincit Labor, meaning, “perseverance conquers all”.
History
On 6 August 1933, the Roman Catholic Church and the Bishop of Cape Coast Vicariate Monsignor W. T. Porter felt the need to have a separate Roman Catholic school and Cape Coast was found to be the most suitable location. A commemorative foundation stone was laid in late 1935 at the present site. Fr. Maurice B. Kelly, the Dean of the Training College at Amissano, became the first Head Dean.
Culture
The Dean, Professors, Senior Student Counsel/Prefect and the Protocol Counsel/Prefect and his assistant are all Roman Catholic. The Anniversary/Ceremonial Day of the school takes place on the Saturday nearest St. Patrick’s Day, which falls around the second or third week in March every year.
St. Augustine’s College, popularly known as "AUGUSCO" ’, calls its old students ‘APSUNIANS" ’. There have been deliberate efforts on the part of both Holy Child School old students (HOPSA) and St. Augustine’s old students (APSUNIANS) to marry. The church believes marriage between old students of the two schools will perpetuate the Catholic traditions.
This institution dominates national sports, partly due to its private funding from wealthy past students.
Student body
The population of the school is 1,968. Day students account for less than 7% of enrollment. St. Augustine's College is known for its Economics and Business Programs.
The college continues to educate Ghana's elite, and has a para-military cadet program which prepares students to enroll in the Military Officers Academy. Many students follow family tradition by enrolling at the school. Admission is highly competitive, and includes a scholarship program for disadvantaged students.
It has exchange programs with foreign institutions such as the German Goethe Institute and AFS Intercultural Program.
The school has a tradition of excellence in academics and sports. Its students are among the highest performing in the WAEC exams and it has won the most of the yearly interschools athletic competitions. There is a good rivalry with Mfantsipim secondary school (nicknamed Kwabotwe) in Cape Coast. Holy Child Secondary school (nicknamed Holyco) is considered the sister school as it is also catholic. In the last edition of 2007 National Science and Mathematics Quiz the College won, and two out of the school's three contestants represented Ghana. Team three won the West African Science and Mathematics Quiz.
The school has 10 Houses providing room and board, typically named after Catholic Saints, with the exception of Kelly & Glynn's Houses named after two of the College's founding and Prominent Catholic Monks. These are St. Peter's House, Glynn House, St. Stephen's House, Hon. St. Patrick's House, St. Theresa's House, St. George's House, St. Luke's House, Kelly House, St. John's House and St. Joseph's House.
Degree programs
During its inception, and throughout the early 1990s, it awarded advanced degrees in economics and business management as well as in sciences such as biochemistry. When the erstwhile military government scrapped the whole National Education System in the late 1990s, the entire format of academia changed, including accreditations modeled after the British Educational System. This transition was intended to bridge the gap between the elite and the lower classes. The policy was propagated by President Jerry Rawlings, who formally categorized it as a school of higher learning.
References
External links
Coordinates: 5°6′12.76″N 1°15′47.63″W / 5.1035444°N 1.2632306°W