St George's College, Harare

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Saint George's College - Harare, Zimbabwe

St George's College, is a private Catholic boys school (Form One to Upper Six) based in Harare, Zimbabwe.The School Motto is in Latin and is , Ex Fide Fiducia (Out of Faith Comes Confidence).It is arguably the oldest formal school established in Zimbabwe,with its Sister School Dominican Convent High School ,laying its claim too.The school is a boys school,whereby young adolescents enter-'Salvete' and leave the college -'Valete' as young men;Boys To Men.In the 1990's, for Physic Science,young women of high intellect,from the Dominican Convent,were enrolled for the senior years (Lower Six & Upper Six). The school is presently located in the Capital City,Harare on Hartmann Hill,in the leafy suburb of Borrowdale.Land was donated to the Jesuits (Society Of Jesus),who have a strong belief and sense of responsibility in community development through education.This lead to the relocation of the school site from Bulawayo to Harare.Thus the beginning of Saint George's College,affectionately known as (Saints).On the same site, a preparatory primary school was established called Hartmann House.This site is next to the official Zimbabwe State House, and the Official President's House called Zimbabwe House, The home of the incumbent Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe. St. Michael's School (Grades 1-3)in Borrowdale often begins the journey to St. George's. Boys attend kindergarten there before commencing to Hartmann House, where they complete (Grades 4-7).It is a very competitive School for one to enter,as an entrance examination has to be taken to enter Form One ,and Lower Sixth Form.Students coming from Hartmann House are exempt from these exams as they automatically enter Saints.

It was founded in 1896 by a French Jesuit, Father Marc Barthélemy. It was named the Bulawayo Boys Public School, with its location in Bulawayo, the second largest city in Zimbabwe (then Southern Rhodesia). The name was changed in 1898, to St. George's College. In 1926 the school was moved to Harare (then Salisbury), the capital of Zimbabwe. The school has a long and distinguished history of liberal philosophy and excellence in education. This tradition continues today.The school has a family oriented approach to academic and extra-curricular studies.It has a collegiate (house) system which consists of 4 houses which are distinct and identified by the colours assosciated with each house.Every Student belongs to a house,and there is a housemaster who is assisted by other members of Staff, the House Captain and House Prefects.The Houses are :- Hartmann House - Navy Blue; Barthelemy House - Dark Green ; Gardner House - Red & Johanny House - Yellow. The names of the Houses are obtained from Jesuit fathers who played an instrumental role in establishing and developing the school.These House System is also applied to Hartmann House preparatory School.Sons,Nephews and Grand-Sons automatically inherit the House in which their Fathers,Uncles and Grand-Dads were in. St. Michaels has a 4 house system,but does not correspond to the Hartmann House and St George's College One.Its houses are - St. Patricks;St. Davids; St. Michaels and St. Andrews.Due to the religious Christianity based beliefs of the Jesuits,who were the principle founding fathers, during the Rhodesian era of political racial discrimination of people,society and institutions,St. George's College was one of a few multiracial schools offering top rate education for all in a segregated Rhodesia.

[edit] Notable Alumni

actor/playwright Andrew Buckland, ^[1] actor Munesu Denya , Richard Lyon-Dalberg-Acton, 4th Baron Acton- British Labour politician; Patrick Zhuwao, Member Of Parliament ,& Robert Mugabe's nephew and Zanu PF strongman; Grant Flower & Andy Flower - Zimbabwe Test Cricketers; Brian Murphy -Zimbabwe Test Cricketer; Gavin Rennie - Zimbabwe Test Cricketer; Trevor Gripper - Zimbabwe Test Cricketer; Ivor Leroux - Zimbabwe Olympic Swimmer; Stewart Evans - World Champion Diver;

Alumni affectionately known as (Old Georgians-O.G.'s),include Rhodes Scholars who attended Oxford University,Cambridge University and Ivy League Univesities.Alumni who Donned the Red Blazer ,achieving the difficult task of attending St. Michael's, Hartmann House and St. George's College, are known as Old Michaelians (Reds).

St. George's was recognized as one of Africa's leading schools.^[2]