The Presbyterian Boys’ Secondary School (popularly referred to as PRESEC) is a prestigious all-male public academic institution founded in 1938. It was originally located at Odumase – Krobo in the Eastern Region of Ghana and moved to its current location at Legon (05°39′48″N 0°10′28″W) in 1968. It was started as a secondary school for boys by the Presbyterian Church of Ghana. The school currently has a student population of about 2,700 and a faculty number of about 140. Students of the school are referred to as PRESECANS and an old boy is known as an Ɔdadeɛ. PRESEC is the leading secondary school in Ghana. It regularly had one of the best GCE O – level and A – level results prior to the change of the national examination system to BECE and SSSCE. Even after the switch to the Senior Secondary School system, PRESEC has dominated the annual national awards with outstanding performances by its students. The graduates of this institution regularly gain admission to the most competitive courses in the various universities. The school’s crest has a shield with the Presbyterian Symbol (the St Andrew Cross-Scottish flag with the Swiss Flag embedded and a burning torch in the middle) with the motto of the school ‘In Lumine Tuo Videbimus Lumen’ meaning ‘In Thy Light We Shall See Light’ scrolled beneath.

The school was started in Odumase after a Ghanaian educationist with the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Rev. (then Mr.) E. A. W. Engmann lobbied for a boys’ school to be started by the church. This finally came to fruition in 1938 with the first group of 16 boys and 4 teachers. Rev. Engmann served as the first headmaster. The Odumase campus initially housed German missionaries, then a primary school and then a Government Survey School before becoming the Presbyterian Boys’ Secondary School. One of the proud traditions of the school is the Ɔdadeɛ (baobab tree) located on the campus. An alumnus of the school is referred to as Ɔdadeɛ. The baobab tree is a Ghanaian symbol of knowledge, resourcefulness and strength. New students were traditionally initiated at the feet of this tree clad in bedsheets and powdered faces. PRESEC quickly gained a high reputation for the quality of its students both academically and in sports. PRESEC was located here till 1968 when it was moved to its new accommodation. In September 1968, the new campus at Legon just north east of the University of Ghana campus at ‘Mile 9, received its first set of students. At the new campus it continued as a boys’ boarding secondary school until the mid 1970s when the sixth form was upgraded to the National Science College. Female students were admitted into the sixth form in small numbers to begin with from September 1975. They continued to be part of the student body till June 1996 when the last batch left. The Legon Campus started with four student boarding houses. Three were named after notable Presbyterians. These are Kwansa House (Rev. A.L. Kwansa), Clerk House (Rev. N. T. Clerk), Engmann House (Rev. E.A.W. Engamann). The fourth was named Akro House after the people of Krobo at Odumase. The next two houses to be built were Riis House (Rev. Andreas Riis) and Labone House. With the completion of the National Science College buildings, more houses were added such as House Seven (Ako-Adjei) and House Eight (Owusu-Parry). The latest addition is a house simply known as House Nine.