Gashora Girls Academy: What other schools can learn from its winning model

Since its inception in 2011, Gashora Girls Academy of Science and Technology (GGAST), has been one of the best performing schools in the country and has enjoyed success at different fronts both at national and international level. As Rwanda moves towards a learner-centred, practical and holistic education system, there are lessons to draw from the education approach of this government-aided A’level school located in the Eastern Province. Learner-centred approach The academic success of every student is highly dependent on the environment in which they study. So what kind of environment does GGAST provide to the students? “We aim to create an environment where students are comfortable and happy. We give them the best that we can and we are always here for them,” Alain Munyaburanga, the headmaster explains. Teachers at GGAST are therefore not limited to providing academic knowledge; they also act as mentors to the students, inspiring and guiding them. In this regard, every teacher is assigned approximately 16 students with whom he/she meets biweekly to discuss and together find solutions to any concerns, academic or social. Munyaburanga cites this as the reason why GGAST administration looks out for educators and not just teachers. “We want people whose hearts are in the right place,” he says. However, hiring decisions do not exclusively lie in the hands of the administration since students take part in interviewing prospective teachers. Student empowerment, Munyaburanga says, is an integral part of GGAST’s education approach. Larissa Umulinga, an S6 student confirms that indeed, GGAST is student-led adding, “Students have a voice. For instance, all the clubs are led by students. This gives them a chance to brainstorm about different challenges, thereby achieving intellectual growth.” Tracy Mutoni, an S6 student, says that intellectual growth is one of the things she is going to miss about the school. “I really enjoyed the adrenaline rush that came with doing some challenging assignments and sometimes handing in with only a few microseconds left to the deadline,” she muses. When all is said and done, students are encouraged to do their best. “We instil the belief that each of the students is capable to succeed,” says Munyaburanga. Indeed GGAST students have achieved notable academic success in the national examinations. Last year for instance, four students got the perfect score (73 points) while four others scored above 70 points. Paving way for girls’ education “Education is the foundation of all other development and the return on investment in girls’ education is very powerful,” explains Suzanne Sinegal McGill, one of the founders and funders of GGAST. Munyaburanga agrees with McGill adding, “It is no secret that mothers, more than fathers pay more attention to their children’s education needs. Therefore, if a girl gets good education, they will seek out better education opportunities for their children.” However, adolescent girls in a developing country such as Rwanda are often faced with several hindrances to education. Among these are early marriages, poor access to reproductive healthcare and even poor attitude towards girls’ education. Therefore, in setting up a boarding school, McGill states that they were aiming to eliminate as many challenges as possible. Every year, GGAST recruits approximately 92 students. The administration works with Rwanda Education Board (REB) to ensure representation from all 30 districts in Rwanda. Munyaburanga asserts that the widely held notion that Gashora can only be attended by students from upper class families is not true. The recruitment process, he says, focuses more on academic ability rather than financial capability. “Most of our students are not paying full tuition. In fact, only 25% of the 271 students we currently have in the school pay the full amount. The rest are on partial scholarships,” he says. The scholarship criterion follows that GGAST administration assesses the parents’ ability to pay. Thereafter the administration and respective parents work out a payment scheme that suit’s the parents’ financial ability. While the current official tuition is Rwf450, 000, some students pay as low as Rwf30,000. However, no one is given a full scholarship since the school administration believes in the importance of parents participating in their children’s education. The flexibility of the payment scheme, and the selection of students from different backgrounds across the country fosters relationships and interactions that would have otherwise not occurred, says Munyaburanga. Competing internationally GGAST is a government–aided school and as such, follows the national curriculum. However, students are also prepared for The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the Standard Assessment Test (SATs), and the American College Testing (ACT). “We take the very best aspects of Rwandan education such as hard work, dedication, perseverance and combine it with western education, thereby including critical thinking and extracurricular activities,” explains Peter Thorp, the Executive Director of Rwanda Girls Initiative (RGI), the organisation under which GGAST was established and is funded. By combining the national curriculum with international standardised tests, Thorp says, students attain a competitive advantage. This can be explained by the fact that the above-mentioned tests are used by prestigious colleges and universities around the world in order to examine English proficiency, critical thinking, mathematical and science skills of prospective students. Notably, between 2013 and 2014, a total of eighty (80) GGAST graduates were accepted into different colleges and universities around the world on scholarships amounting to $10,154,661. 49 of the 80 are studying in colleges and universities in the USA. Asked how GGAST students manage to successfully compete for the scholarships, John Nejman, the Director of University Counselling Faculty at GGAST says: “As soon as students join GGAST, we educate them about what they need to be strong applicants. Universities don’t want students who are just academically strong. They want a leader; someone who can make an impact on the community and has interesting experiences to talk about,” he explains. In this regard, students are encouraged to find something they are passionate about, and they are taught how to market themselves. Students having their lunch. Encouraging innovation In November this year, Christine Ashimwe, an S5 student, will be attending a school fundraiser in Seattle, USA. Along with her classmate Stella Ituze, Ashimwe they will share personal experiences, highlighting the positive impact of education on the lives of Rwandan girls and also let funders know that they can be part of that change. After losing her mother at the age of eight, Ashimwe says that everything went downhill from there. Her father, the breadwinner lost his job, sold all his property and her family was reduced to seeking financial assistance from relatives. “It was a very scary time,” Ashimwe recalls. “What kept me going was the fact that I wanted to make my mother proud.” Her dream came true when she emerged as the best student in the 2013 ordinary level national examinations. Still, Ashimwe doesn’t consider herself as a genius. “I just work hard. Hard work pays,” she says with a smile. Regardless, it would be condescending to say that her business venture, Gashora Gold peanut butter, which she started last year at GGAST, is anything less than brilliant. After tasting peanut butter for the first time, Ashimwe and her close friend Sandrine Mutezinka obsessed about its tastiness. “We wanted more!” Ashimwe exclaims. Consequently, the two students approached the school administration with a business concept, which was met with a positive response. In time, Ashimwe and Mutezinka attracted the interest and later, investment of renowned businessmen such as Warren Buffet and Reed Noel and the brand has since achieved tremendous success. At present, they supply approximately 150 jars per month. Some of their clients include Milles Colline Hotel and Get It. During the Spring Accelerator, a highly competitive continental business challenge that took place this year, Gashora Gold emerged as one of the top 10 businesses in East Africa. Asked if making peanut butter doesn’t interfere with their studies, Ashimwe responds: “We have a strong team of approximately 30 students who take turns to make the product. Plus, it’s very easy to make.” Once Ashimwe and Mutezinka have completed secondary school, they say they will continue to be involved in marketing and improving the brand but that they intend to transfer the business to other girls so that they can “learn what we have learnt.” Sandrine Mutezinka (second left) and Christine Ashimwe (third right) with some of the Gashora Gold team members proudly display their product. There are many such innovations at GGAST, and the explanation for this, as stated by McGill, is: “We encourage students to be intellectually courageous.” Extracurricular activities and their many returns Education is not about being pumped with academic knowledge says McGill. Extracurricular activities are an integral part of the learning process since they help children to learn important virtues such as hard work, teamwork, critical thinking, confidence, creativity, leadership and many others. For instance, Mutoni attributes her confidence to different extracurricular activities such as journalism, tutoring, and theatre performances. The same goes for Shemsa Iribagiza Ndahiro an S6 student who says, “I was raised to think that girls are supposed to be shy, bow down to everyone, and to do all the domestic work. At Gashora, my mind was opened up through public speaking competitions.” The key ingredient to ensuring that students benefit from and take pride in doing extracurricular activities is letting them be at the forefront of all aspects. This is reflected in the way extracurricular activities are handled at GGAST. For instance, Stella Ituze, an S5 student, who is part of the debate team which has won several competitions at regional and national levels, is happy to note: “The facilitators don’t get involved unless we ask for their assistance. When you convince people using your own logic, you are the centre of your own empowerment and the outcome is exciting.” Moreover, extracurricular activities help students to identify their passions and natural abilities, which they can explore to serve the surrounding communities. Mutoni cites the journalism team which sells magazines and uses the proceeds for community service such as buying health insurance for children within the community. Umulinga talks about the Community Service club which collects clothes and food items for Burundian refugees on top of providing lessons to refugee children. The Tutoring club teaches and mentors pupils at Gashora Primary School and the club says that there has been visible improvement in academic performance of the classes they have tutored. Character development Character development is imperative to holistic education. At GGAST, most of the aspects regarding character development are already covered through academics and extracurricular activities. Therefore, additional education is executed with one rule; “Do the right thing.” Because of this, students at GGAST, no matter where they come from, have been knit together to love, support and empower each other towards success.