Girls High School, Harare
Girls High School Harare, commonly referred to as "GHSH", was the first public school for girls founded in 1898 in the then city of Salisbury, Rhodesia, which is now Harare, Zimbabwe. The school can take in up to over 1000 girls across all forms and is thus the largest girl's high school in Zimbabwe. The school also has two boarding houses for girls called Beit House and Forsyth House. The school celebrated its centenary in 1998 with pomp and fair. In the year 1998, the all uniforms were brought back and pupils were given a chance to purchase the many uniforms that the school had in previous years.
The school is located in Harare's central business district.Map to GHS
Girls High School is the sister school to the boys school Prince Edward High School.
The school motto is "Per Ardua Ad Astra" which means "Through hard work, we will reach the stars".
The school colours are bottle green and gold. The school uniforms for the junior girls is the traditional green pinafore with the white blouse and the school uniforms for the senior girls (A level students) is the traditional "butcher blazer" with stripes and the green skirts.
Academics and extra-curricular activities
The school offers educational certificates for Ordinary Levels (O'Levels) and Advanced Levels (A'Levels). Subjects offered include:
- Art
- Accounting
- Geography
- Mathematics
- General Science
- Physics
- Biology
- Chemistry
- History
- Management of business
- Divinity
- Shona Language
- French
- Economics
- Food Science
- Fashion & Fabrics
- English Literature
- English Language
- Advanced Mathematics
The school also offers various sporting and extra curricular activities which include the following:
- Drum majorettes
- Debate Society
- Drama Club
- Scripture Union Club
- Action 21 Environmental Club
- Choir
- Marimba Club
- Rotary Club
- Athletics
- Swimming
- Hockey
- Netball
- Tennis
- Rowing
- Softball
- Martial Arts
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Alumnae
The school has produced some of Zimbabwe's top sportswomen such as
The school has also produced one of Zimbabwe's most famous actresses and musician,
- Prudence Katomeni known for her role in a popular Zimbabwean movie and her contribution to the arts, the school also produced a former Miss Rhodesia beauty queen (Now Miss Zimbabwe beauty pageant).
Other outstanding students include
- Chipo Matimba a pilot and now a captain with Air Zimbabwe the only female of her generation to hold this an esteemed position.
In the arts is
- Tracy Zengeni who is one of the most leading innovative female artists in Zimbabwe.
- Thando Mclaren is a celebrated Children's author who is getting an ever increasing following for her collection of children's stories out of Africa.
- Dr Marion Arnold was a pupil at GHS during the 60s.She received her MA and PhD from the University of South Africa (Unisa) and was a senior lecturer at the University of South Africa, and University of Stellenbosch, South Africa. She is an art historian and artist who lectured in South Africa for many years and now teaches part-time at the Universities of Loughborough and East Anglia,and Birkbeck College. Recent publications include (2005) - From Union to Liberation: South African Women Artists 1910-1994 and (2001) - South African Botanical Art: Peeling Back the Petals. She is a practising artist represented in all major South African collections.