Kibubura Girls: A legacy of soft skills alongside head knowledge

OPINION

By Rt. Rev. Dr. Fred Sheldon Mwesigwa

As Kibubura Girls’ SSS nears the celebration of four decades of girls’ secondary education on Saturday, July 1, 2023, my recollection of the success story of the school, as a former teacher and now a patron of old girls is hinged on the school leadership promotion of soft skills alongside head knowledge.

Until recently, with the introduction of a new secondary school curriculum, a typical Ugandan school has been emphasising head knowledge, which is characterised by cramming of information, often christened imparting of knowledge.

The co-curriculum of Kibubura Girls SSS, was considered critical in shaping the life of the students. In a manuscript comprising 30 articles from select Kibubura Girls SSS students, that is to form a key component of my revised book, Contrasting Ironies; English and Ugandan State Secondary Schools, I was able to glean the spirit behind the success story of the Kibubura girls who have defied odds of excelling in the marketplace despite coming from a little known ‘third world’ school in Ibanda.

At the inception of the school in 1980s and for much of 1990s and 2000s, it was the only girls boarding school in Ibanda, Nyabushozi, Kamwenge and Kitagwenda sub-regions, but also the favourite destination for girls who missed out Maryhill and Bweranyangi, the ‘first world’ schools in western Uganda.

Firstly, the promotion of religious values and provision of a Christian ethos in the school environment was paramount. Prof. Mwende, an OG, says, ‘The school’s greatest strength lay in its very firm and Christian foundation and uncompromising emphasis on discipline.

Dr. Jenninah Tumwesigye, a lecturer in microbiology at Mbarara University and president of Mothers Union Ankole Diocese, recounts her story of how she got saved in Senior Two, a turning point in her life when her chaplain (then Rev. Sheldon Mwesigwa) made her swear and sign personal agreements of ‘never being used as a stool by men/boyfriends’.

This commitment helped her keep focused in life till marriage. The majority of the girls were able to grow their communication skills through fellowships, where they could express themselves in the English language through testimonies and expounding scriptures. Leadership skills were homed in these fellowships and this is attested to by Col. Edith Nakalema, Dr. Charity Christine, the Presidential Adviser on Economic Affairs, Adrine Asingwire, a chief state attorney, Joy Musiime, the proprietor of Little Muheji, a leading nursery and primary school in Kampala city with 2,750 pupils, etc.

Inter-stream and inter-class debates were a common feature on the school calendar and related to that was the promotion of drama through interdormitory competitions.

Justice Dr. Immaculate Busingye refers to a debate competition that she participated in at Mbarara High School. Therefore, “in 1993, Prossy and I were among the students chosen to represent the school in English competitions at Mbarara High School”.

Prossy Bahigwa works for the Uganda Government and Royal Danish Embassy. Religious equanimity was considered critical. Hon. Jovrine Karisa, the deputy co-ordinator of the Parish Development Model, says, “During our time at Kibubura Girls’ School, as Catholic students, we used to pray under a tree.

Our former chaplain Rev. Sheldon Mwesigwa, allocated us a class to worship. Rev. Sheldon Mwesigwa harmonised all religions, including Muslims and boldly told Anglicans that they are our hosts.”

The use of hands in fulfilling Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives of using the head, heart and hands was considered essential through the encouragement of the girls to be concerned about their personal hygiene, compound, dormitory and class environment.

Keep Kibubura clean was a mantra that propelled girls to compete to ensure that dormitory trophies were won, but in the process, was an inculcation of critical skills for getting hands dirty to ensure a clean environment.

Similarly, subjects like agriculture were not only studied theoretically, but practically as observed by Dr. Rose Nasaba, “Each student owning a small garden of vegetables, potatoes, beans name it, built in us a spirit of hardworking and innovation. I tapped into that very experience to grow enough vegetables in my compound during the COVID-19 lockdown.’

The inspiration given to Kibubura Girls is referred to by many OGs, especially from Mrs Jane Tumusimirwa, a long-serving headmistress in the 1980s and 1990s, who used to spur the girls with endearing words of being ‘women of substance’ and ‘courageous women’ deriving from the motto of the school. Lest one thinks that Kibubura Girls SSS has excelled only in the promotion of skills and values, it has about 10 OGs who were awarded the doctor of philosophy (PhD) in different disciplines, suggesting that in the four decades of the school, one PhD is accomplished for every four years.

The sample statistics that compromise my manuscript reflect that despite Kibubura Girls SSS being referred to as ‘third world’ due to being a relatively new school and not possessing grandiose buildings and facilities, went on to produce ‘first-world products’ and to compete in marketplace with some high-sounding traditional girl’s schools, that may currently be a shadow of their former glory.

The writer is an associate professor of religious education and former deputy headteacher of Kibubura Girls SSS and Ntare School, a former dean Faculty of Education & Arts at UCU, a former chairman of UCU’s Governing Council and currently chancellor Bishop Stuart University smwesigwafred@gmail.com