Regional News of Sunday, 27 July 2003

Source: GNA

Former headmaster of Ghana Secondary School laid to rest

Akim Asafo (E/R), July 27, GNA - Nana Daniel Ofori Kwame Dankwa, 83, the first headmaster of Ghana Secondary School Koforidua, was on Saturday laid to rest at Akim Asafo in the Eastern region. The burial service, which was held at the Presby Primary and JSS school park turned into a reunion as a large number of old students including government functionaries, top civil servants, businessmen and women, medical practitioners, lawyers, journalists and people from all works of life attended.

D.O. K. as his former students affectionately called him was born on June 19, 1920 at Akim Asafo and had his basic education at the local Presbyterian School. He continued his education at Mfantsepim School, Cape Coast and Achimota School, Accra. DOK obtained the Bachelor of Science degree from St. Andrews University Scotland, Graduate Teachers Certificate from Edinburgh University Institute of Education; Graduate Diploma in Guidance and Counseling from Reading University, UK and Masters degree in Guidance and Counseling from the Indiana University Bloomington, Indiana USA

Nana Ofori Dankwa was a senior science teacher at Accra Academy from 1952 to 1957 and was appointed the first Headmaster of Ghana Secondary; Koforidua in July 1957 after the old Christ College became a Ghana Education Trust School. DOK was adjunct Senior Lecturer at the University of Cape Coast, where he helped to develop the Guidance and Counseling curriculum and programme and was referred to as "the father of Guidance and Counseling programme in Ghana".

Prior to his retirement, DOK was the Regional Director of Education in the Central Region and a member of the Ghana Education Commission that helped to Modernise Education in the country. DOK authored the "dankwagrame! Principle for successful living and teaching." He left behind Comfort his widow, sons and daughters and an army of former students.