History

The pioneer Headmistress of Gayaza High School, Miss Alfreda Allen, was sent by the Church Missionary Society (CMS) in England, to enhance girls’ education.

Up to that time, there had been a few boys’ schools, but all that the girls could receive was church teaching in Scripture and Catechism, in preparation for baptism. The European teachers were assisted by African teachers. There were girls who had reached the top of the school, and who were both clever and well-mannered, and could therefore be transformed into teachers without any formal training.

Between 1926 – 1953 Gayaza High School comprised of a complex of four very large houses, with the school house itself forming part of the complex. Each house was partitioned into two dormitories by a wall, which did not reach the ceiling. The dormitories had strange names. The house closest to the hedge ofkimona trees was called Enjawule ya Loi, the adjoining house was called Emanga , the house parallel to the large school building was Kyawakati and last house was known as Kiko. A high wall divided Kiko house from Enjawule ya Tezira house(Tezira was the matron).

Later on, each half of the dormitories became independent dormitories, each with its own matron. In the Junior School, all the teaching was done by the African members of staff, and in the Luganda language.

The curriculum in both sections of the school was very much the same, and consisted mainly of Scripture, English, Arithmetic, History, which was combined with Geography. Then there was Nature Study, Hygiene, Needlework, Handiwork, Singing, Sewing, Drill and Games. Scripture, English and Arithmetic were taken every day during the morning session . Handiwork was taken seriously. In the Senior School, girls did more elaborate work such as embroidery and knitting.

The school uniform was a blue cotton dress during the week, and a white one on Sundays. A khaki dress was worn for games. Tezira, one of the house-mistresses, was in charge of the sewing room where the uniforms were made. The dress had a short yoke on the front of which a red badge was embroidered with the letters GHS (Gayaza High School). This same badge is stilused today. A lthough the shape of the dress may have been modified over the years, on the whole, it looks very much the same today as it did some many years back.