About Our Lady of Good Counsel
Our Lady of Good Counsel S.S.S Gayaza is a Catholic founded, government aided, day and boarding mixed senior secondary school. The school was founded way back in 1958 when two Junior day schools namely; St Andrews for Boys and St Benadette for girls were started. In 1967 when Junior Secondary Education was abolished, the two Schools were merged and converted into a secondary school which was named after the Patron Saint of Gayaza Parish; Our Lady of Good Counsel S.S.S Gayaza.
Early 1967, seven men of great caliber and a modest vision namely; Messrs Maurice Mapeera, E.W. Katende, S.M. Kibombo, Joseph Ssengendo, J. Luswata , J.D Ddamulira, H Masagazi originated a great idea of starting a secondary school having realized that the then existing secondary school could not admit many of the children born in Gayaza due to their economic status. They started Our Lady of Good Counsel, by joining two junior schools that is St. Andrew and St. Bernadette.
The parish priests then, Rev. Fr.Ssekalegga Kiwutta, supported this idea and so did the Catholic Parish Executive. They then started the school with the vision of providing quality affordable and holistic education and a mission of molding God fearing, academically successful and morally upright citizens to fit in the dynamic world. Since then, the school has produced God fearing men and women, with high integrity, academic success and discipline.
With a staff of 7 members and a population of 78students, they set the ball rolling. To date, the school has grown in both population and performance. The allusion for excellent performance is made to men and women of high repute and integrity- the former head teachers of the school.
It is now five decades down the academic road and the school is celebrating 50 years of excellent holistic education. We are indebted to all the former head teachers, staff and students past and present for their contribution towards the celebrated excellence.
The current school population is over 1100 students with a staff of 130 members. The school produces a holistic child given the rich curriculum that supplements the normal teaching timetable. The co-curricular program is vast. We have sports and games, societies and clubs, practical hands on skills in response to the presidential call of skilling Uganda for competence. Our students grow vegetables, beans, potatoes, and bananas to supplement the school menu.
The Counsel Choir has traversed Kampala Archdiocese with church melodies. Music, dance and drama are a co curricular activity that has given birth to great orators, musicians, seasoned dramatists, playwrights and authors. Giving examples would require 50 years of writing for the list is endless.
We adore and respect God and have devised a measure of excellent discipline. Having realized that all students need to be exposed to a rising standard of learning demands, we created a conducive learning environment. As a family we are passionate about social boundaries of knowledge and we have taken students across the lines of class privilege and university domination. We respect the differences in the learner’s capacity and we give them maximum attention. This is coupled with a well stocked library and laboratories from which students get knowledge for excellence and a proud team of senior teachers with great passion for our learners. We have taught students from the most diverse background and taught them well.
We encourage field trips and academic tours to expose our learners to the outside environment. We believe in the old adage that a health mind creates a healthy body that is why our students’ health is another of our important priorities. The school health department is managed by a team of trained and experienced medical staff.
Given the schools background and status quo, we are determined to embrace the next fifty years with commitment to God, passion for work, determination for excellence and zeal for quality service. For as a family we believe that YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW.
