View of the school annotated with help from link club
The school football pitch with dormitories
Year 4,5 and 6 students in English club
6th form students in a chemistry lesson
The science laboratory
G.S. Muhura School, Rwanda
Groupe Scolaire de Muhura (Muhura School Complex) is a typical Rwandan secondary school, in a rural setting in Byumba province, in hilly northern Rwanda. It is government funded but is run by the Episcopal Church. Like the vast majority of secondary schools in Rwanda it is a boarding school - students come from all over Rwanda and pay fees (eqivalent to approximately 50 pounds sterling a year) which covers their food and accommodation (teachers' salaires (approximately 45 pounds sterling a month) are paid by the government).
There are about 600 students, less than a third of them girls, in 6 year groups. Their ages range from 12 to early 30s (some are married with children) as many are forced to take breaks from their education due to financial or family problems. Students can choose which school to attend but may be placed by the government anywhere in Rwanda. For the first three years they study biology, chemistry, physics, maths, French, English, Kinyarwanda, geography, history and religious education.
After sitting national exams (equivalent to GCSEs) at the end of the third year they move schools depending on their choice of subjects. G.S.Muhura offers two courses for 'A' level equivalent: maths-physics and biology-chemistry (students specialise in these but also study the other two, and English and French).
The school site contains a church, a primary school, two offices and a staff room, a classroom for each class (two in each of the six years, containing between 35 and 55 students), a laboratory, a kitchen, a generator which provides electric lighting between 6.15pm and 9pm, a refectory where students eat their meals, dormitories, numerous pit-latrines and two water taps, pitches/courts for football, volleyball, handball and basketball and fields of potatoes, soyabeans, bananas, coffee and other crops which help to feed the students.
Two 6th form students have written about typical days at school. English is their third Language. RWIRIRIZA Richard MY DAY
For me my day is similar to those of each student, but there are short differences between the things done by everyone.
On Monday I wake up at 5 O’clock by my watch which makes to wake-up because of its sound. I pray before other activities, I wash my body, I brush my teeth, I polish my shoes, I make my bed and tidy my things. At 5.30am I go to do a review [homework] in my classroom until 6.30am. I leave the classroom, I take my cup and I go to the refectory to have my breakfast, I do the manual work until 7.20am, I collect my books before going to assembly when we listen to the Director’s [Headteacher’s] speech.
At 8 O’clock I start my lessons until 10.30am when I take a short break of 15 minutes, after I return in the class till 12.25pm. I leave the classroom I go to continue my break, I go to the cantine to buy some avocados and bananas as dessert. I enter in the refectory to take my paste, I eat with appetite because I enjoy my meal. At 2 O’clock I return in the classroom to continue my lessons till 4.30pm.
At 4.35pm as my hobby of Monday I’m a chorister. I go to choir practice until 5.45pm, I wash my body during 15 minutes, I enter in the classroom to do homework till 7.20pm. I pray during 5 minutes before having my super till 8 O’clock, after 8pm I do the last homework of the day till 8.45pm, I have a pray of 15 minutes, I go to bed at 9 O’clock.
MULINDA Noel Valentin Using of my day
During the weekend my days are used specially because there are no classes. On Saturday during the morning I wash clothes and I do manual activites [work around the school e.g. cleaning, planting/harvesting crops] up to 9 O’clock and I wash my body.
Since 9.15am is when there is no other special programme I go walking, I go to watch a match [football, volleyball or handball] or I can read a magazine when I have stayed at home. At 12 it’s lunch time and I go to church at 3pm up to 6pm. At 6pm I watch a film, after 1 hour it’s dinner time up to 7.30pm. After 7.35pm I study up to 9pm and I go to bed. Before sleeping I must pray with my 10 schoolmates who I live with.
On Sunday I wake up at 6pm, I go to the bathroom, after 10 minutes I study up to 7.30am. I take breakfast during 15 minutes. At 7.45am I go in the church where we must be together with all students of our school, we must be there up to 9am. At 9am I start also to study till 12.30 (lunch-time). On Sunday afternoon I can read newspapers, like for sport, music etc. I study from 6pm till 7.30pm time for dinner. We must go to bring food in the refectory during 10 minutes, by two students on the table of 15 students. After 20 minutes I return in the classroom to study until 9pm. At 9pm I go to bed.
Contact: Headmaster: M.Pheneas Zimulinda
Postal Address: G.S.Muhura PO Box 17 Byumba Rwanda
