Choosing a secondary school?
Jan 15, 2008
THEY come in all sizes and designs. Different as they might be, their goal is the same - to educate your child. The world of schools is becoming competitive. They promise this and promise that but how well are the promises fulfilled?
It is the season of release of examination results and parents will make a dash for ‘good’ schools to take their children there. Jamesa Wagwau talked to experts and writes
THEY come in all sizes and designs. Different as they might be, their goal is the same - to educate your child. The world of schools is becoming competitive. They promise this and promise that but how well are the promises fulfilled?
With the whirlwind of advertisements that flood our TVs weeks before schools open, choosing the right secondary school for your child must be a bewildering task. In a country where education has been largely privatised, parents have to look beyond the mowed compound and the beautiful structures that characterise most private schools.
Schools come in different forms, each endeavouring to meet the needs of the consumer. Education, however, is different from other products. It transforms an entire generation and cannot be taken for granted. American writer Dean William once wrote that ‘the aim of education is the knowledge, not of facts but values.’ Education is therefore a complex product of values that transcends generations. Ruth Musajjawaza, a mother and proprietor of Musajjawaza Farmers’ Store in Kampala, views values as a principal requirement in an ideal secondary school.
“I love traditional schools because they have a culture that doesn’t change. There are values these schools instill in children. It is that culture that moulds children.â€
Fagil Mandy, an education consultant, develops the value factor by stressing the need to understand the history of the school.
“Find out if the school has a history of strikes, child defilement or examination malpractices,†he says.
But the traditional schools have very high cut-off points that often leave out the majority. Where does the average student go?
Many entrepreneurs are investing in education sector. The cut-throat competition that is pushing schools to perform or perish has impacted negatively on the quality of education schools provide.
Santos Auma-Okumu, a senior lecturer of Educational Psychology at Kyambogo University, says many parents shift their children from one school to another in search of the ‘best performing schools’.
“The exam result is just one factor, but there is more to a school than just academics. The discipline standards, school culture and values are very essential factors that shouldn’t be ignored,†says Okumu, adding that there are parents who falsely think that the higher the fees the better the education quality.
Florence Magembe, the resident director of Pearl Institute of Cosmetology in Nakulabye, emphasises the need to look out for established schools.
“I wouldn’t take my child to a school that has just opened. My child shouldn’t be a project! The school should have been in existence for over five years and should have proved its worth,†she explains. Mandy also emphasises the need to take children to established schools. He says the longer the school has been in existence, the better.
Prof. Peter Matovu, a consultant counselling psychologist based at Nkumba University, holds a different view.
“It doesn’t matter how long the school has been in existence. What matters is the quality of teachers and the school’s managerial team headed by a competent headteacher,†Matovu argues. He advises parents not to be confused by beautiful structures.
“Buildings can be poor but if the school has quality teachers, it will provide fantastic education,†he says.
It is very clear that you need more than a school’s brochure to make up your mind. This is because there is more to education than just learning how to read and write. Just like American writer Lou Ann Walker once wrote, “theories and goals of education don’t matter a whit if you don’t consider your students to be human beings.â€
Does the school you are thinking about handle students like human beings and not objects to be worked upon? You can only establish that by carefully gathering information before you make your final decision.
Expert’s suggestions
Fagil Mandy, an education consultant, gives the following tips as you choose the right school:
-Ensure that the school is registered by the Ministry of Education. The registration number is usually displayed on the school’s signpost.
-Understand the history of the school. Do not take your child to a new school. The longer the school has been in existence the better. Does the school has a history of strikes, child defilement or examination malpractices?
-The school should have an examination centre and the registration number should be displayed.
-Tour the school compound and assess the infrastructure. How are the toilets? How secure and clean are the dormitories? Visit the dormitory and assess the congestion. Only double, not triple deckers, are acceptable. How near is the matron?
-Since sciences are compulsory, the school must have a well-equipped laboratory. There should be a library, play facilities and space for extra-curricular activities.
-The school should have graduate teachers registered by the ministry of education. Find out how many of those teachers are full time and how many are part time.
-The head teacher should be a graduate teacher (not a diploma holder) registered by the ministry of education. Remember the Uganda National Examination Board does not allow the school’s director or proprietor to be the head teacher. If such a person is discovered the school’s centre number will be withdrawn.
-The school should have a programme that involves parents.
Compiled by Jamesa Wagwau
THEY come in all sizes and designs. Different as they might be, their goal is the same - to educate your child. The world of schools is becoming competitive. They promise this and promise that but how well are the promises fulfilled?
With the whirlwind of advertisements that flood our TVs weeks before schools open, choosing the right secondary school for your child must be a bewildering task. In a country where education has been largely privatised, parents have to look beyond the mowed compound and the beautiful structures that characterise most private schools.
Schools come in different forms, each endeavouring to meet the needs of the consumer. Education, however, is different from other products. It transforms an entire generation and cannot be taken for granted. American writer Dean William once wrote that ‘the aim of education is the knowledge, not of facts but values.’ Education is therefore a complex product of values that transcends generations. Ruth Musajjawaza, a mother and proprietor of Musajjawaza Farmers’ Store in Kampala, views values as a principal requirement in an ideal secondary school.
“I love traditional schools because they have a culture that doesn’t change. There are values these schools instill in children. It is that culture that moulds children.â€
Fagil Mandy, an education consultant, develops the value factor by stressing the need to understand the history of the school.
“Find out if the school has a history of strikes, child defilement or examination malpractices,†he says.
But the traditional schools have very high cut-off points that often leave out the majority. Where does the average student go?
Many entrepreneurs are investing in education sector. The cut-throat competition that is pushing schools to perform or perish has impacted negatively on the quality of education schools provide.
Santos Auma-Okumu, a senior lecturer of Educational Psychology at Kyambogo University, says many parents shift their children from one school to another in search of the ‘best performing schools’.
“The exam result is just one factor, but there is more to a school than just academics. The discipline standards, school culture and values are very essential factors that shouldn’t be ignored,†says Okumu, adding that there are parents who falsely think that the higher the fees the better the education quality.
Florence Magembe, the resident director of Pearl Institute of Cosmetology in Nakulabye, emphasises the need to look out for established schools.
“I wouldn’t take my child to a school that has just opened. My child shouldn’t be a project! The school should have been in existence for over five years and should have proved its worth,†she explains. Mandy also emphasises the need to take children to established schools. He says the longer the school has been in existence, the better.
Prof. Peter Matovu, a consultant counselling psychologist based at Nkumba University, holds a different view.
“It doesn’t matter how long the school has been in existence. What matters is the quality of teachers and the school’s managerial team headed by a competent headteacher,†Matovu argues. He advises parents not to be confused by beautiful structures.
“Buildings can be poor but if the school has quality teachers, it will provide fantastic education,†he says.
It is very clear that you need more than a school’s brochure to make up your mind. This is because there is more to education than just learning how to read and write. Just like American writer Lou Ann Walker once wrote, “theories and goals of education don’t matter a whit if you don’t consider your students to be human beings.â€
Does the school you are thinking about handle students like human beings and not objects to be worked upon? You can only establish that by carefully gathering information before you make your final decision.
Expert’s suggestions
Fagil Mandy, an education consultant, gives the following tips as you choose the right school:
-Ensure that the school is registered by the Ministry of Education. The registration number is usually displayed on the school’s signpost.
-Understand the history of the school. Do not take your child to a new school. The longer the school has been in existence the better. Does the school has a history of strikes, child defilement or examination malpractices?
-The school should have an examination centre and the registration number should be displayed.
-Tour the school compound and assess the infrastructure. How are the toilets? How secure and clean are the dormitories? Visit the dormitory and assess the congestion. Only double, not triple deckers, are acceptable. How near is the matron?
-Since sciences are compulsory, the school must have a well-equipped laboratory. There should be a library, play facilities and space for extra-curricular activities.
-The school should have graduate teachers registered by the ministry of education. Find out how many of those teachers are full time and how many are part time.
-The head teacher should be a graduate teacher (not a diploma holder) registered by the ministry of education. Remember the Uganda National Examination Board does not allow the school’s director or proprietor to be the head teacher. If such a person is discovered the school’s centre number will be withdrawn.
-The school should have a programme that involves parents.
Compiled by Jamesa Wagwau