AMBITION

Built in a semi-rural environment 25km away from the city of Kampala along the Kampala – Gulu Highway, Mr. Kisubika Tusubira Geofrey a former head teacher at Nakasero Secondary School bought Makerere High School for only UGX30, 000 in the 70’s. His inspiration to start the school came from the fact that as a teacher, he always wanted to do and be greater than just a teacher, a director perhaps and the better way to do that was by opening up a school.

INSPIRATION

Mr Kisubika very much believed in the need for teachers to build a school and also be able to run it. He believed that teachers very much create successful schools where students thrive fueled by their passion, classroom experience, and entrepreneurial verve, with the fundamental needs of their students driving their every decision. On this foundation Makerere High School was born.

Mr. Kisubika adds that the school began with only 20 students which number grew up to 1000 within a very short time under the hands of Mr. Muhire Edward and Canon Godfrey Njagala the head teachers at the time. The school was only a day school which was easy to build and manage.

Canon Godfrey Njagala a former head teacher of Makerere High school strongly believed in discipline as the only sure way through which students could excel in their academics and so he became so tight on matters of discipline considering the fact that the school was located right at the city Centre in Wandegeya.

In fact it was through his tight hands on discipline that the school always posted very excellent results whenever they sat for Uganda advanced certifi cate of education. This excellent performance has been maintained in both Arts and sciences in both O’ and A’ level. In 2017 for example, 56% of the students who sat S.4 scored Division one and 44% got division two while in A ’level 80% got at least two principal passes while 20% got one principal pass.

The success of the school during his time was tremendous. He groomed students strongly with discipline and Christian virtues through a very strong scripture union program.

When Makerere high school merged with Migadde College it became a much bigger job because it was on a big piece of land, better infrastructure and it was a boarding school, the merger was only inevitable because Kampala then had become less common for schools. Uganda’s political environment then was very good and vibrant leading to the most profound years of the school, Mzee Kisubika adds.

Mr. Abel Asiimwe an Old student of the school currently working as the town clerk of Kawempe and a former head teacher of Makerere High School and Migadde College was one of the founding head teachers of the school who built the school from the ground up. With only two fi nished buildings, a serene environment full of birds and monkeys. He admits that it was a beautiful place.

“The time I had joined Migadde College, there was a lot of unfi nished buildings, a lot of bush, trees and minimal space for gatherings and the ordinary level classes had just started”. Racheal Mwine an old student and a former News Anchor on NTV says.

SERVICE & FELLOWSHIP

We are here to serve one another and to teach our students the importance of service.

The formidable repertoire of the contemporary era is how education eff ects our youth. The progress of a nation is highly dependent upon its youth; it is the youth which makes it rise like a shining star or fall like a dull meteoroid. Canon Njagala says he had to be strict and tough on his students and emphasized discipline strongly because Wandegeya was a very tough place for soft people.

The current president of Uganda Law society Mr. Kinobe Simon Peter says that the school had people from diff erent walks of life; everybody was celebrated for their strength, and aided to overcome their weaknesses forming a team of formidable students that strived for excellence. They were a tight niche community of friends but also the school set a high value base for Christianity and religious beliefs, a high moral standing, discipline and respect for authority and conclusively admits that it is a place where life was established for him and many of his colleagues.

My most memorable times were fellowships. Fellowship was a big part of the school, meeting people and praying was one of my most found memories of Migadde College. We begin to discover our talents and passions that will guide our decisions for the rest of our lives while in school, Racheal Mwine adds.

For the Kumi District Member of Parliament, Hon. Amonding Monica, Makerere high school molded her to be the leader she is today. The environment of the mixed school added to her the confi dence and ability to express herself and compete with the opposite sex at the same level. She adds that the fellowship was strong in that they had lunch hour every day and that enabled them have a God fearing foundation. With that it gave them a good background and outlook to being humble, a servant leader and being a good person.

INTEGRITY

We adhere to an uncompromising standard of integrity that refl ects interdependence between Scripture, our beliefs, and our actions. We strive to provide an ethical and spiritual foundation for young people who are able to enter a world in need of their character, gifts, abilities, and work ethics.

Mr. Abel Asiimwe says that the bigger impact as teachers is meeting former students who are making a diff erence in the country and are doing well and not wasted. Teachers guide students on their after school life with sayings that stick in the minds of students. He adds that he kept telling his students that “poverty will encroach on you like an armed robber” because he believes that hard work and trusting in God will lead one to a successful life.

On attainment of student skills, youth are an asset to the community and contribute actively to its development, as they are essential elements of the society. In this globalized and knowledge-based world, the youth should be given chance to contribute to the society in the most optimum manner. The importance of education lies in the fact that its insuffi ciency or absence may lead one to choose an improper path of life. It cannot be denied that knowledge is power and it is a greater joy when teachers see their students thrive in life.

Teachers are people that have learned about gratitude and humility – that so many people have a hand in the success of students, from the teachers who inspire them to the janitors who keep the school clean, students are taught to value everyone’s contribution and treat everyone with respect.

Research shows that there is only half as much variation in student achievement between schools as there is among classrooms in the same school. If you want your child to get the best education possible, it is actually more important to get him assigned to a great teacher than to a great school. “The value placed to humanity is what propels you to excellence and because of the values imparted on us in Makerere high school we were able not only to give back to society but able to propel the concerns of society and hence managed to thrive”

Kinobe adds People without education are like weapons without bullets. From birth, a child begins the learning process in one way or the other, which happens to continue throughout their lives. Education is the medium for the youth to quench their thirst and realize their potentials and capabilities. The youth should be armed with the best quality education and facilitated with favorable conditions.

RESOURCE

In just fifteen years of the development of the campus, the population of the students had blossomed, all the students are resident as they are required to stay in school to maximize their time in school, and the school enrolls both girls and boys. The school has a formidable team of administrators headed by Board of Governors whose members are some of the best Educationists in the country. Down the administration hierarchy, there is the Head teacher, Deputy Head teacher (for Administration, and Academics), below whom we have the Director of Studies, Heads of Departments, Teaching Staff and Support Staff.

As regards to the curriculum, the school off ers both Sciences and Arts subjects plus a wide range of co-curricular activities like games and sports which include Football, Basketball, Rugby, Volleyball, Table tennis, netball, badminton, in which the school competes at both zonal and district levels. Students are also engaged in club activities through vibrant clubs like the Scripture Union, Drama, Debating, Writers, Wildlife and Computer clubs among others.

In Makerere High School, Migadde up to today, students are encouraged to grow spiritually through active involvement in Scripture Union activities so as to build a good character foundation. The school also off ers a strong mentorship program where each student is attached to a mentor for not only academic guidance but also impact life skills in which students learn other values like integrity, honesty, respect, financial literacy to mention but a few.

Makerere High School, Migadde is one of the leading providers of secondary education in Uganda that facilitates academic development and promotes God fearing Leadership. It provides aspiring young people, with an opportunity to develop their talents and strength and overcome their fears and weaknesses through diff erent academic and training programmes.