OLAPSA launches centenary celebrations ahead of December 2026 homecoming

The Old Students Association of Our Lady of Apostles (OLA) College of Education (OLAPSA) has officially launched activities to commemorate 100 years of the institution's alumni, ahead of a major centenary celebration and homecoming scheduled for December 2026.

The launch took place on Saturday, October 3, 2026, at the Christ the King Parish Hall in Accra on the theme: “Retuning To Our Roots: Reminiscing 100 Years Of Excellence”.

The event was organised by the Accra, Tema and Kasoa chapters of OLAPSA and brought together old students and other stakeholders to begin preparations for the centenary homecoming.

HRM Nana Dansoa Amamaah, the Asamankese Kyidom Hemaa and a member of the OLAPSA 1998 Group, served as chairperson for the launch. She is also the founder of the Naada 1 Foundation.

The December celebration is expected to attract past and present students, tutors, staff, alumni, educationists, religious leaders, government representatives and other stakeholders.

The event will provide an opportunity to celebrate the institution's contribution to teacher education while reflecting on the future of the profession and the role OLA College of Education can play in Ghana's changing educational environment.

Call for unity among old students

In her welcome address, OLAPSA Accra Chapter President, Lady Rosemond Asante Fosuhene, welcomed guests and old students to the OLAPSA Accra Zonal Centenary Homecoming Launch.

She described the occasion as the beginning of a journey that would enable old students to celebrate the training they received at OLA College of Education, as well as the memories, friendships and bonds developed over the years.

“On behalf of the Accra Chapter, I sincerely thank everyone who has made time to be here, as well as everyone who contributed in diverse ways towards the successful launch of this programme. As we launch this important programme, let us all embrace the spirit of unity, love and togetherness, and work collectively to ensure that the Centenary Homecoming becomes a truly memorable and successful celebration.”

Honour pioneers of OLA

The Director of Education for the Tema West Municipality, Lady Mrs Sophia Ako, called for recognition of the contributions made by past and present teaching and non-teaching staff to the development of OLA College of Education.

She said the centenary celebration would be incomplete without acknowledging the sacrifices of the people who established the foundation of the institution and contributed to its growth over the years.

According to her, the achievements of successive generations of teachers, administrators and students should be celebrated alongside the contributions of those who were involved in the institution's early construction and development.

“A century of this level of consistency, impact and development must be acknowledged and celebrated. We must honour those who gathered the stones, carried the sand and contributed in diverse ways to the beginning of OLA,” she said.

Lady Mrs Ako said the milestone also offered the OLA community an opportunity to reflect on the institution's history and prepare it for another century of contribution to education and national development.

“Celebrating one hundred years of teacher training provides a powerful platform to honour past achievements while strategically positioning the college for its next century of educational impact,” she stated.

She urged the OLA family to reconnect with the institution's origins and recognise the vision of the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Apostles, who began the training of women as teachers.

She said the initiative started in 1924 and grew into an institution that has played a significant role in Ghana's education sector.

“Let this launch be the spark. Let Greater Accra show the way in organisation, fundraising and reconnecting every single year group from the 1960s to 2026,” she urged.

“To return to our roots is to remember where we came from. One hundred years ago, in 1924, when the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Apostles took the step to train women as teachers, few could have imagined that this small seed would become the giant oak tree we are celebrating today,” she said.

Beyond the classroom

Lady Mrs Ako also urged educators to recognise their responsibility to provide guidance and mentorship beyond formal classroom instruction.

“Beyond basic teaching and facilitation, the young ones entrusted into our care need more of our counsel and guidance to navigate through the complexities of this land.”

She further praised the unity among OLA old students across different regions and the diaspora.

“Your unity across zones, including the Central Region, Ashanti, Greater Accra, Brong Ahafo and scattered across Ghana and the Diaspora, proves that OLA College of Education never leaves a lady behind,” she said.

A century of teacher training

Formerly known as OLA Training College, the institution traces its beginnings to 1924, when the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Apostles established a teacher-training initiative at St Mary's Convent School in Cape Coast.

The first batch of alumni was recorded in 1926, marking 100 years since the institution produced its first graduates.

With support from the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Apostles, Mother Acquiline began training Ghanaian girls who had completed their middle-school education at OLA Girls Senior High School in Ho.

The college subsequently evolved in response to Ghana's changing educational needs.

Between 1926 and 1960, it operated as a two-year Certificate ‘B’ teacher-training institution. In 1960, it introduced a four-year Certificate ‘A’ programme, alongside a two-year post-Certificate ‘B’ programme designed to upgrade teachers to Certificate ‘A’ level.

Further changes followed national educational reforms. From 1968 to 1973, the institution was assigned a specialist Home Economics programme to train teachers for the country's emerging experimental junior secondary schools.

The successive changes have formed part of OLA College of Education's contribution to Ghana's evolving teacher education system, setting the stage for the centenary celebration in December 2026.