Gayaza: Uganda's first girls' school still stands high
Oct 05, 2019
In January 1905, Gayaza High School opened it's gates, becoming Uganda’s first girls’ boarding school. On Saturday, the old girls had dinner at Serena Hotel.
GAYAZA DINNER OLD GIRLS
Describing the absence of a girls' boarding school in colonial Uganda as ‘Buganda's broken arm' just when boys' education was firmly rooted, Sir Apollo Kaggwa, a chief in Buganda, requested the England based Church Missionary Society (CMS) to open a girls' school at Gayaza in 1904.
Head girl roles at the #Tugiggale fundraising concert
— New Vision UGANDA (@newvisionwire) October 5, 2019
Afrie Dom, Gayaza Head Girl 2012 won't have a boring show. She gets the @gayazaoldgirls to their feet. #NewVisionXtra pic.twitter.com/1B6XUqVc3A
Apart from producing some of the most influential ladies in the country, Gayaza schools produce musicians too. #Tugiggale #NewVisionXtra pic.twitter.com/brcWQsj5CS
— New Vision UGANDA (@newvisionwire) October 5, 2019
#Tugiggale fundraising concert turns into a praise show with @sandra_suubi's 'Kumusalaba' #NewVisionXtra pic.twitter.com/VzXfn5oayZ
— New Vision UGANDA (@newvisionwire) October 5, 2019
Fellow chiefs, however, resisted the move. Wealthy and privileged as they were, the chiefs did not want to pay school fees for girls. They thought that by spending a lot of time at school, their daughters would become lazy wives and forget how to cultivate or take care of their homes.
The Church Missionary Society (CMS) ladies' conference, convened in England, resolved that a girls' school be started near the Gayaza mission land, which was donated by Kaggwa, sent Alfreda Allen to fast-track girls' education in the country.
Allen arrived in Buganda with Janet Smith, later followed by Dorothy Allan, Nancy Corby and Irene Steintz.
In January 1905, Gayaza High School opened its gates, becoming Uganda's first girls' boarding school. It was built on a 140-acre land, with three houses; Kikko, Kyawakati, and Manga.
The houses were made of sunburnt bricks, grass-thatched, plastered reed ceilings and brick-floor that would be smeared with cow dung every fortnight.
The girls wore a Suuka, a cloth tied under the armpits and held by a sash, leaving the shoulders bare, was the students' first uniform. With time, Allen designed a new uniform; a round-neck, with a short Magyar sleeve, an embroidered badge and different colours used to distinguish classes.
Originally, the school was enrolled only daughters of chiefs and highly-placed people in society like clan heads and clergymen. The girls would later get married by sons of chiefs, who would have studied at King's College, Budo.
As enrollment grew, the school started offering both primary and informal secondary education, calling for the separation of the two sections.
In 1962, Gayaza Junior School retained the old premises on the side, while the secondary school found a home on the western wing.
From four girls, the twin-schools have gone on to become two of Uganda's academic giants, increasing enrollment at the junior school to 1,000 pupils and 1, 080 students at Gayaza High School, respectively.
When they separated, Gayaza Junior changed its motto from Banno (friends) and started sharing Gayaza High motto: NEVER GIVE UP.
Past Headmistresses of Gayaza High School: Miss Alfreda Allen, Miss Smythe, Miss Bolton, Miss Corby, Miss Cox, Miss Warren, Mrs. Ruth Kavuma, Mrs. Joy Male and Mrs. Victoria Kisarale.
Rucci from LimitX says he retired from music but always feels the need to sing when he holds the microphone. Where were you during the LimitX days? #Tugiggale #NewVisionXtra pic.twitter.com/sycrGzvj6G
— New Vision UGANDA (@newvisionwire) October 5, 2019
.@sandra_suubi singing her heart out in support of the Gayaza Old Girls Association Fundraising Drive! It's getting hot in here. #Tugiggale #GiveBack pic.twitter.com/c2IraCAJbJ
— New Vision UGANDA (@newvisionwire) October 5, 2019
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Some of the prominent old girls of Gayaza High School
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