Stonyhurst and St. Peter’s Kubatana are two
schools with vastly different stories, but a
shared history of forced migration and the refusal
to bow to oppression. Both have faced persecution:
Stonyhurst as a consequence of Religion and
St. Peter’s Kubatana because of race.
The focus of the Companions’ Programme is to unite
these two examples of Jesuit Education at its
best, with the result of further improving the
quality of the education in each institution.
Supported by the British and Zimbabwean provinces
and coordinated by Jesuit Missions, this programme
aims to make the idea of “men and women for and
with others” a reality.
Below is a brief history of each of the schools
which, although juxtaposed together, is not intended
to prompt comparison. Any comparison would be
out of context, as Stonyhurst College is more
than 400 years older than St. Peter’s Kubatana.
These schools’ pasts are not as important as their
future vision, but it is useful to know the background
of these schools and their unique situation.
St Peter’s Kubatana
St. Peter’s Kubatana is not only a wonderful example
of the breadth and depth of Jesuit education,
but also of the tragedies and injustices of life
in the developing world. Located in the densely
populated area of Glen-Norah, Harare, it has both
a secondary and vocational school. During its
forty year history, the school has seen many changes
and challenges but despite these, it has been
a beacon of hope: nurturing excellent academic
and vocational skills with some very disadvantaged
people.
2004 welcomed the Jesuits back to St. Peter’s
Kubatana, after a failed attempt to hand the school
over to local dignitaries, and 2005 was a year
of very real challenge in revitalising what was
so very nearly lost. Today, the school lies dilapidated
and struggling to regain lost ground but the flame
of hope burns strongly in the eyes of the staff
and students. The classrooms have recently had
doors, desks and chairs installed so the students
finally have the bare essentials for their education
but much remains to be done.
The school has a new Board of Governors which
is presided over by Fr Fidelis Mukonori (Provincial
of Zimbabwe Province). Each of the Board members
are leaders in their communities – both retired
and professional – who all have a close association
with the school. Dedicated and hard-working, they
are committed to the success of the school and
together they form a sturdy vehicle to oversee
its redevelopment.
Stonyhurst College
Stonyhurst has a distinguished history. Founded
in 1593 at St. Omer in what is now Northern France,
it was established to provide a Catholic education
for English families unable to educate their children
in their Faith at home. After a couple of moves,
the College finally migrated, in 1794, to Lancashire
and settled on the Stonyhurst estate which had
been given to them by a former St. Omer pupil
- Thomas Weld.
In subsequent centuries, the Jesuits added to
the College on a grand scale so that today it
is one of the largest buildings under one roof
in Europe and is listed by English Heritage for
its architecture and setting. The Jesuits have
always embraced change and Stonyhurst is no exception.
In the 1800s, when Science was making headway,
Stonyhurst was the first school in England to
have a science laboratory.
Inevitably, over a 400 year period there have
been many fine achievements and distinguished
former pupils and today, men and women educated
at Stonyhurst are achieving in all walks of life.
Stonyhurst has recently appointed a new Head:
Mr Andrew Johnson. He will succeed Mr Adrian Aylward,
the current Headmaster, on the 1 st of September
this year.
The Companions’ Programme: Chirwirangwe
Aristotle said that, “Friendship is essentially
a partnership” and indeed the pupils and teachers
of these schools have embraced this partnership:
a partnership known as Chirwirangwe, under the
Companions’ Programme. Chirwirangwe is a Shona,
Zimbabwean, word which refers to the coming together
of two villages to unite and help each other against
a common enemy… a lion, for example. Today this
common enemy is injustice and poverty.
The goals for this programme are to bridge the
technological gap between the two institutions
and to share and appreciate cultural differences
whilst living true to the ideals of Education
for Justice.
For the pupils of St. Peter’s Kubatana, Chirwirangwe
will enable them to rise to the challenge of new
opportunities for re-development as true men and
women for others: to fully utilize the material
resources that they gain for the benefit of the
students, teachers and the local community. The
challenge for Stonyhurst is to react to the plight
of St. Peter’s Kubatana and demonstrate the qualities
of compassion and conviction that Jesuit Education
instils. Most importantly, for both schools, this
programme is about dialogue and learning from
each other.
Jesuit Missions
