Government High School, Nassau

High school in Nassau, Bahamas From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

25.0483°N 77.3619°W / 25.0483; -77.3619

Government High School is a state secondary school in Nassau, Bahamas. At one time, it was a selective grammar school[1] and one of the country's leading institutions.[2][3]

Early years as a selective school

Government High School became the Bahamas' first state school when it opened on 27 April 1925,[1] providing for the education of blacks and girls who had been excluded from the colony's private schools.[4] The school was established as a result of concerted public lobbying.[5]

It was a selective state school[1] that became known for educating a generation of middle-class brown and black Bahamians before and immediately after the country achieved universal suffrage in 1961.[2]

Entry was open to students aged 11 to 18 who passed an entrance exam and fees were payable slightly less than the country's parochial schools.[6] Initially intended for teacher training, the school prepared students for Cambridge exams and later the Cambridge Overseas School Certificate.[5]

Modern comprehensive school

The school now exists as one of many public comprehensive secondary schools on the island of New Providence.[2][3]

Headmasters and headmistresses

  • Albert Woods, from 1925[5][7]
  • Dr. A. Deans Peggs, 1942-1958[7]
  • Cecil Valentine Bethel, first Bahamian headmaster of GHS, from 1964[8]
  • Hugh Gordon Sands, first alumni to become headmaster
  • Anatol Rodgers, third Bahamian head and first headmistress, 1971-1975[9]

Notable alumni

References

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