About Holy Child College of Education

The history of Holy Child College cannot be divorced from the vision of the Founders of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus, Venerable Cornelia Connelly, who founded the Society of the Holy Child Jesus in England where the need for education of girls was very great. She set up her first convent in Derby, England in 1846 and over the years established schools for the education of all classes. She developed a method of education based on trust and reverence for the dignity of every human being. This vision is what characterizes Holy Child College and makes this institution very unique.

In 1930, the Sisters of the Holy Child Jesus came to Africa and established schools in the then Eastern Nigeria. The pioneers of the African Mission included Mother Joachim Forster, a pioneer in the Gold Coast Mission. The success of their mission attracted Archbishop Porter of Cape Coast who wrote to the then Provincial at Mayfield, Rev. Mother Paul O’Connor SHCJ to send sisters to the then Gold Coast Vicariate in 1934.

On January 28th 1946, the first three pioneers, Rev. Mother Joachim Forster, Rev. Mother Cyril Smith and Rev. Mother St. Edward Charlton sailed from England and disembarked at Takoradi on February 20th 1946. It is recorded that on 5th March, 1946 the College and School were started in Cape Coast. There were 120 students admitted initially, 70 for the Training College and 50 for the school.

By arrangement between the British Colonial Education Department and the Catholic Mission, some students were transferred to Holy Child College from a three year Catholic Post Primary Training College belonging to the OLA Convent.

The formal opening of the College/School took place on Friday, 21st June, 1946. By 1955, the number of students in both the College and Secondary had doubled. It therefore became necessary to transfer the training college department to Takoradi. On 18th February, 1955, the College was moved to its present site on top of Fijai Village Hill to share borders with Archbishop Porter Girls’ Senior High School, Fijai Senior High School and Kweikuma Township.

To date, the College has produced a good number of women as qualified teachers. Our products are found functioning actively as teachers and lecturers at all levels of educational institutions, including the Universities, where they occupy high executive positions. The Training College had the Holy Child Sisters in administration till 1981. Holy Child College has passed through the hands of ten principals; four expatriates and six Ghanaians. It should be noted that Mother Joachim was both principal and headmistress of the combined College and School from 1946-1955. In 1955, when the College moved to Takoradi, Mother Joachim moved with them and continued her work as an administrator in Takoradi.