The Presbyterian College of Education (PCE), Akropong, formerly known as Presbyterian Training College (PTC) was established in 1848 by the Basel Evangelical Society. It is the first institution of higher learning in Ghana and in West Africa, it is second to Fourah Bay College in Sierra Leone. As it went about its evangelical work, the Band Evangelical Society found it prudent to establish schools to educate the indigenous people. This led to the establishment of the first preparatory school in Akropong, Akuapem in 1844 by Rev Andreas Riis. The increase in the number of pupils in the preparatory school resulted in a higher demand for professionally trained teachers. This demand culminated in the establishment of a seminary in 1948 to train catechists and teachers to teach at the preparatory school. The main aim of the Seminary was to give teachers a sound basic education as well as attitudes and skills to live shining and exemplary lives.

The products of the seminary contributed immensely towards the growth and expansion of basic schools in the then Gold Coast. The products of the basic schools established also became the products of the first secondary schools established in the country. Subsequently, the College began to provide teaching staff for the University College of the Gold Coast (now The University of Ghana).

The College has contributed immensely towards the development of Ghanaian Languages. Missionaries like Chrysteller, Zimmerman and Rapp were keen on developing the orthography of the Twi, Ga, and Ewe languages. C. A. Akrofi and Professor Kobina Nketia were products of the college who proceeded to become icons of literary works in Akan. Indeed, it was during the period of evangelism by the Basel Missionaries that the Bible was translated into Twi.

“The Mother of Our Schools” has since 1848, grown in size, attained academic excellence and undergone massive transformation in the area of infrastructure. The school population has increased from five men to over 1,800 men and women. It is worth noting that the College started as an all-male institution until 1958 when it became co-educational with the admission of 17 women during the tenure of Rev. Noel Smith, the last white Principal of the College.

The college has been at the forefront of special education in Ghana. In 1945, The College began to train visually impaired students. Currently, The College has a Special Education Unit that trains visually impaired, hearing impaired, and physically-challenged students. PCE is the only college in Ghana that trains both visually and hearing impaired students. It is worthy of mention that the idea of training special students was the brainchild of the then principal, Mr. Douglas Benzies.

The missionaries were the first to bring cocoa to Ghana. They successfully planted and processed cocoa beans into beverages long before Tetteh Quarshie went to Fernando Po Indeed, Tetteh Quarshie worked for one of the missionaries at the College and therefore knew about cocoa before he left for the island of Fernando Po, Given what he already knew about cocoa, it was natural for him to have brought some back to Ghana.

Interesting historical titbits

Do you know that;

• One of the pioneers of PTC was Jamaican and that PTC was once a men’s College.
• The first Europeans who settled in Akropong all died with the exception of, Andreas Riis, who contributed to the establishment of PTC.
• The College became co-educational in 1958? The College Chapel was built by students and tutors and was commissioned in 1956.
• PTC became purely Teacher Training College from 1951.
• The College with only 5 students. The first School for Blind in the whole West Africa sub-region was started on PTC grounds.
• Dr. Noel Smith was the last white Principal of the College, he recently visited the College with his wife in October 2002.
• E.A. Asamoa was the first Ghanaian Principal of the College from 1963-1965.
• The former head coach of the black stars E.K. Afrane was a student of PTC.
• PTC has even produced a PRESIDENT for Ghana, His Excellency E. Akufo Addo. President of the 2nd republic.
• Moderators of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana from 1918 to 1994 all attended P.T.C.
• Nana Sir Ofori Atta I, a member of the Legislative Council also attended PT.C
• The First Speaker of Ghanaian Parliament, Sir Emmanuel Quist was a student of PT.C.
• St Andrew College and Komenda training college were nursed in PTC before they were relocated to their present sites.
• PTC is the only College that trains hearing and visually challenge when it comes to Teacher Training Education.
• Ephraim Amu was once a tutor in the College, he was dismissed for preaching in a traditional cloth in the Chapel.
• Former Eastern Regional Minister, Hon. Patience Addow was a student of the College and was among the first batch of females when the College became co-educational.
• The College Seminary was founded in temporary accommodation in 1848 under the leadership of Rev. Johann Dieterie who was the first Principal of the College.
• After the Basel mission was deported in 1918 just after the World War I, the Gold Coast Government invited the Scottish Missionaries to take over the Administration of the College in 1919.
• The late Rev. Sintim Misa, one time Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, remarked during the 125th anniversary of the College, “Education is an instrument for social change and P.T.C is undeniably the institution that has contributed immeasurably to social changes in Ghana”. It is equally the place from where we have come, not only social change, but also deeply religious products. It has therefore made a unique contribution to the development of our country.
• Tutors who had started their earliest careers at P.T.C went out in the 1950s and 60s to handle newly-established Training College as Principals.
• PTC has up to date produced about Twenty Thousand teachers who have gone out to work in all parts of the country from south to north, cast to west and the immense contribution the products of the College have made socially, economically and academically to the general growth and development of the country cannot be overemphasized.
• The list of PTC success stories is interminable because of the host of the product who perused other professions and became lawyers, architects and medical doctors, farmers, soldiers and chiefs.
• PTC has also produced traditional rulers like Nana Kwasi Akufo I, Nana Osei Ofori Atta I and Nana Boache Tromo III, who were, or, are still paramount chiefs of their areas.
• PTC has produced for the nation countless Professors for the universities, prominent among them are Prof. Ablade Glover, Prof. M. Kwamena, Poh, Prof. Emeritus C. G. Baeta. One time commissioner of Police and Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Rev. A.A. Beeko, was a student of the college.
• S.K. Akoto, Mr. Alfred Kye and Mr. T.K. Agadzi, well-known legal practitioners are all the products of the college.
• Musical composers like Prof. J.H. Nketia, Rev. Dr. Otto Boateng, and Mr. J.M.T Dosoo, Dr. Geoffrey Boateng, Mr. Onwona Osafo, Prof. S. Asiamah were all products of the College.
• Some members of the College Choir, including the current Dean of Students, Mr. Ralph Amoah Offei, visited Scotland to participate in competition in September, 1997.