Reputation
Namilyango College is one of the most prestigious schools in Uganda, owing to its history, influence, excellent academic performance and dominance in sports. It is the oldest secondary school in Uganda, and for long was the best school in boxing until the sport was stopped in the school in the early 1990s. Rugby is the biggest sport in the College. Namilyango has won the national schools' rugby title more than any other school, and has sent numerous players to the national team. Namilyango College was a pioneer in Information Technology in Ugandan schools, building one of the first computer labs.
The Pillars
Our Vision
To develop intellect and character in every learner by providing a challenging and engaging education through which each student is able to experience personal, physical, creative and spiritual growth, to become a self-motivated and responsible global citizen.
Our Mission
Namilyango College operates effeciently guided by a mission which
is:
"To be a leading institution that provides education for responsibility."
Core values
- Fear of God
- Christ centred holistic formation
- Respect for human dignity
- Honesty and integrity
- Excellence in attaining our shared goals
- Enhance academic excellence
- Innovative approaches to learning that challenge all students
Namilyango College History
The school was founded in March 1902 by the Mill Hill Fathers, a London-based Catholic missionary society, to educate the sons of Catholic chiefs. At the time, the Mill Hill Missionaries approach to education for locals was guided by their objective of training local catechists and, eventually, local priests. The first students at Namilyango were being trained to become, first and foremost, catechists; those who were considered unfit for that vocation would be sent away or, if they were of good character, educated further so they could be taken on as clerks in the colonial government.
The College was established by the Mill Hill Missionaries (St. Joseph’s Missionary Society) in 1902 and was the first secondary school in Uganda. In March 1902, Bishop Hanlon, the first Mill Hill Bishop in Uganda, started what was later to become Namilyango College with a two-fold purpose:
Original goals of the founders
- To train catechists for evangelism
- To educate sons of chiefs.
The College motto
The College motto “Nisi Dominus” , Latin for “Without God nothing is possible” (Psalm 127), was adopted to urge the staff and students of the College to trust in God’s Providence. The College is under the Patronage of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. On 23rd March 1902, the College opened its gates to ten pioneer students. During the centenary celebrations in 2003, the College adopted the mission statement “Education for Responsibility.” By this statement the College recommitted itself to provide an education with the purpose of producing responsible citizens.
Education level history
The College initially operated as an Ordinary Level institution offering courses leading to the award of a Cambridge School Certificate (the equivalent of the present Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE)). In 1960 it started Advanced Level courses leading to the award of the Cambridge Higher School Certificate (equivalent to the present Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE)).
History of the mill missionaries
It was founded in 1866 by cardinal Herbert Alfred Vaughan. In 1892, it branched to create a separate North American offshoot, the Society of Saint Joseph of the Sacred Heart (Josephites). The society was formerly based at St Joseph's College at Mill Hill in north London. The late 1960s saw the development of the Missionary Institute of London, to consolidate training facilities for the various mission societies in Britain. St Joseph's College site was closed in 2006. Its present headquarters are at 6 Colby Gardens in Maidenhead, Berkshire SL6 7GZ. In 1884 St Peter's School, Freshfield, near Liverpool was founded to serve as a preparatory school to the college. During the Second World War the college was evacuated to Lochwinnoch in Scotland. The war ministry then requisitioned part of the buildings for the use of the civil service. So, the college at Mill Hill was effectively closed for the duration of the war. In the 1960s, Pope John XXIII asked missionary societies to become involved in South America. As of 2019, the Mill Hill Missionaries are active in Brazil and Ecuador. On its 150th anniversary, an account of its history on the Diocese of Westminster website said in part: "At the 1988 Chapter, with representatives from all over the Mill Hill world present, a decision was taken to recruit Mill Hill Missionaries from Africa and Asia, our former mission areas, now flourishing with well-established churches planted and grown by Mill Hill Missionaries." There are now Mill Hill Society formation centres in Cameroon, East Africa, Philippines and India. As of 2014, the congregation has forty priests working within Ireland, and twenty working internationally, with an average age of 73.
