The Groupe Scolaire Officiel de Butare (GSOB) Indatwa n’inkesha, also known as the Indatwa n'Inkesha School, is a historic

secondary school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., b ...

in Huye District in Butare (formerly Astrida),

Rwanda Rwanda, officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of East Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator, Rwanda is bordered by ...

. As well as being the oldest secondary school in the country, it is regarded as one of the most prestigious and successful public schools in Rwanda. The school, originally known as the Groupe Scolaire d'Astrida, was established by the Brothers of Charity in 1929. It was intended to educate students who would form an élite to serve as chiefs and medical, agricultural, and veterinary assistants in the Belgian mandatory administration in

Ruanda-Urundi Ruanda-Urundi (), later Rwanda-Burundi, was a geopolitical entity, once part of German East Africa, that was occupied by troops from the Belgian Congo during the East African campaign in World War I and was administered by Belgium under milit ...

. It took students, often the children of chiefs and other dignitaries, from both modern-day Rwanda and

Burundi Burundi, officially the Republic of Burundi, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is located in the Great Rift Valley at the junction between the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa, with a population of over 14 million peop ...

. Between 1932 and 1957, the Groupe Scolaire d'Astrida admitted 964 students from Rwanda including 739 ethnic Tutsi and 177 ethnic Hutu. At the time, the only comparable educational institution in the mandate was the Nyakibanda Major Seminary (''Grand Séminaire de Nyakibanda'') which also educated some students not destined for the priesthood after its foundation in 1936. After independence, the school was renamed the Groupe Scolaire de Butare. This school is regarded as one of the most selective schools in Rwanda. Bucyensenge, Jean Pierre (JP).
GSO-Butare marks 83rd anniversary
" '' New Times''.
Archive
25 September 2012. Retrieved on 6 March 2013. In 2004

President of Rwanda This article lists the presidents of Rwanda since the creation of the office in 1961 (during the Rwandan Revolution), to the present day. The president of Rwanda is the head of state and head of executive of the Republic of Rwanda. The presi ...

Paul Kagame Paul Kagame ( ; born 23 October 1957) is a Rwandan politician and former military officer who has been the President of Rwanda since 2000. He was previously a commander of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), a rebel armed force which invaded ...

visited the school to celebrate its 75th anniversary and thank the Brothers of Charity.Semanyenzi, Didier.
Le Président Kagame présente sa reconnaissance aux Frères de la Charité
" ORINFOR. 26 October 2004. Retrieved on 6 March 2013. In 2012 the school celebrated its 83rd anniversary.

Notable students

* King Kigeli V Ndahindurwa of Rwanda * Louis Rwagasore, Prince of Burundi *

Melchior Ndadaye Melchior Ndadaye (28 March 1953 – 21 October 1993) was a Burundian banker and politician who became the first democratically elected and first Hutu president of Burundi after winning the landmark 1993 Burundian presidential election, 1993 electi ...

, Assassinated President of Burundi * Joseph Cimpaye, Burundian politician and writer * Pascal Bubiriza, Burundian ambassador

References

{{coord missing, Rwanda Butare Educational institutions established in 1929 Schools in Rwanda Catholic Church in Rwanda Brothers of Charity 1929 establishments in Ruanda-Urundi Ruanda-Urundi

Notable students

See also

References