About St. Henry's College Kitovu
St. Henry's College Kitovu (SHACK), is a boys-only government-aided boarding middle and high school in Uganda.
The college was founded by the White Fathers in 1922. It lies about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi), by road, from the suburb of Nyendo, atop the Kitovu Hill near the Kitovu Catholic Cathedral. The main school campus covers a large expanse of land. The School has a population of over 1,000 students.
In September 1922, a Canadian missionary, a disciple of Cardinal Lavigerie, Fr. Adrian Laberge of the White Fathers, founded the school of Kitovu with some pupils from the Lubaga School which was also under the direction of the White Fathers.The beginning was of the bare necessities; three simple buildings of sun-dried bricks served as classrooms and dormitories. The new installation was blessed by His Lordship Bishop Henry Streicher, and it was placed under the protection of St. Henry, patron of the Vicar Apostolic of Uganda.
During the course of the five following years, the school was led by Fr. Laberge, with the help of Mr. Damasus Mukasa, and the help of some other local young men. The good progress of the school attracted the attention of the religious and civil authorities, no wonder that the school grew by leaps and bounds. With regard to pupils’ interests, it was necessary to have more space for expansion. Mr. Ignatius Lule of Nyendo readily offered the needed land, and the place he gave was very ideal, since it was on the top of Kitovu hill, from where one could have a very good of the surrounding country side. The space offered was quite ample and admitted the lay out of many school buildings with staff quarters and play fields. The direction of the school having been offered to the Brothers of Christian Instruction, Brother Charles Jules Poitras founder and Superior of the Brothers in Uganda visited the school accompanied by Bro. Joachim Leo Collerette. The report that the Brother Director Principal gave on what he saw about the school of Fr. Laberge gave a very good impression. In the August of 1927, Bro. Eugene Paquette and Bro. Donat Trudel took over the responsibility of the Kitovu High School. They worked there in close co-operation with Messrs Paul Kigozi and Stephen Kayongo.
In the course of the years, the fame of St. Henry’s school re-assured itself and spread, not only because of its success on the academic line, but also other factors contributing to its good name; such factors were that the sports had a place of honouring the school, and the school’s scout troop won the admiration of all the district; the exciting picnics at Nabugabo Lake camp kept alive the enthusiasms of both the teachers and the pupils. In 1936, the Education Department reshuffled the country’s system of education in the Primary and Secondary Schools. Seeing that enough schools had sprung up, the Government decided that certain schools like that of Kitovu be transformed into Junior Secondary Schools whose examinations would be organized and set by the Education Department. At this stage St. Henry’s had 95 pupils in four classes.
The period between 1950 and 1960 saw the college standing on a firm footing in the Cambridge Certificate course. This, however, was not achieved without difficulties, for the growth required the expansion of accommodation such as new classrooms, a decent library, laboratories and dormitories. After careful arrangements, the authorities came to be convinced that St. Henry’s because of its sound material organization, could be permitted to stand on equal terms and share the same privileges as other schools of the same footing in the country. In 1969 was the crowning point of many years of preparation, for the Higher School Certificate course was definitely introduced, and this step accelerated the further growth of the College in every direction material and academic as well as staffing. The result was that, by 1972, the year of St. Henry’s Golden Jubilee the school population had passed the mark of 1,000 boarders, with over 80 buildings spread over the large campus. Such was the intense life which unfurled itself on top of Kitovu hill with Brother Aidan, the headmaster at the helm for over ten years, propelling this important education centre, where rally the studious young men who wish to profit by the chance offered them.
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