From The Weekly Observer The things that turn students off Education Sunday, 28 July 2013 17:28 Written by Joseph Kimbowa 0 Comments He grabs me by the hand saying: “Boss, come and I sell you some nice shirts.” The grip is so tight that I am forced to turn around, only to meet a familiar set of eyes. As my mind races to recall where and when I had met this young man, he calls me by my surname, accompanied with the nickname I went by in the rural primary school I attended. Then it dawns on me. It is Joseph Kakembo, my primary school friend. I could, then, clearly identify his face and remember that we not only shared a first name but also a desk. “Oh my God, I never thought I would see you again. You are now a man!” he says with excitement. “Munnange baatulemesa okusoma, kati tuli mukuboonabona.” Meaning: “We are suffering because our education was sabotaged.” How, I ask, because all I remember was that Kakembo had been expelled in P.6 for escaping from school. He confesses that he was interested in studying further but he got turned off by the ‘inhumane’ policies at school. He tells me how he was told to smear cow dung on the floors and part of the walls of all classrooms and the head teacher’s office on top of bringing his parents. This was punishment for his having sneaked out of school to attend an inter-school music competition and missing a class test. Smearing involved collecting cow dung from the school neighbourhood, fetching water from a spring well, cleaning away the dust in the classrooms before embarking on smearing – using one’s feet and hands. “My father also asked the teachers to punish me in front of the whole school, where every teacher would have a chance to cane me,” he recalls. And that’s when he dashed out of the head teacher’s office and decided to start a new life rather than face the humiliation. Kakembo was 17 years old then. He felt misjudged and betrayed. With the help of a friend, Kakembo came to Kampala where he has in the past 12 years worked as a potter, houseboy, and street vendor until he got a stall in St Balikuddembe market in 2009 where he has worked to date. Though not all learners quit school like Kakembo did, such occurrences sometimes affect their overall academic performance and can have a lasting effect on their future. The turnoffs Turnoffs manifest themselves in scenarios such as inhumane punishments, extended lesson periods, classroom humiliations, and social class differences, among others. In a mini survey we conducted, it was discovered that students, whether they are in a rural or urban, single, mixed, day or boarding school, usually have their turnoff moments. In class Susan Kayaga, a former student of Christ the King SS Kalisizo, remembers that it was tough for poor academic performers. “Teachers would come in class and read out the test/examination results of the worst performers,” she says, and this resulted in a lowered self-esteem for many students. Other students complained of the unfavourable school timetables. “We used to have a triple math lesson (meaning three periods of 40 minutes each) every Wednesday afternoon and it was my greatest nightmare,” recalls George Maka, who alleges that it may have contributed to his failure of the subject. Florence Nakaye, who went to a rural school, says there was no way she could concentrate in an afternoon math lesson in a school that did not even provide lunch. “I remember the time when almost the entire class dozed off when the teacher was discussing the boring Algebra topic. He got so furious, he ordered all of us to stand for the rest of the lesson,” she recalls. Out of class Some students felt inferior if their parents couldn’t afford the same scholastic materials as their counterparts at school. “I would feel bad to have worn-out shoes, bags or uniforms when my friends changed theirs everyday,” remembers Christine Nambatya who went to Uganda Martyrs primary school Katwe. Kayaga, on the other hand, recalls such turnoffs as early morning booster lessons, dormitory housework, weekend lessons (instead of having entertainment), parents not coming on visitation days, or when they came, carrying less ‘grub’ (food) than her friends’ parents. Others were disgusted by the routine school programmes, such as morning prayers (for instance saying the rosary in May and October in Catholic-founded schools) that are compulsory even for those that do not subscribe to the religion. Experts argue that it is natural for school-going children to experience some turnoffs, but the concern should be on how they come about and how to handle them. Dr Callist Tumwebaze, a psychologist at Makerere University, says student turnoffs may just be a coverup for a bigger problem and, therefore, a generalisation of causes may result into blanket, and sometimes wrong, solutions. “The best approach would be to look at them on a case-by-case basis, looking at the affected individual, their family backgrounds and the school culture,” he says. Tumwebaze observes that there are students who have no self-drive and can only work through the use of some kind of force, which they may interpret as a form of harassment. “Some teachers forget the saying ‘you can take a cow to the well but you cannot force it to drink’,” he adds. Causative factors “Extreme cases, such as Kakembo’s, show that the child lacked communication with the parents and when his father sided with the teachers, he felt betrayed,” notes Claire Nalule, a child counsellor at Mulago hospital. According to Dr Badru Musisi from Makerere School of Education, school turnoffs are caused by a combination of flaws by teachers, parents and the students themselves. “The teaching fraternity has failed to change with change. Despite the growing technologies, teachers are still stuck in the ‘Stone Age system’ of teaching,” he says, noting that most teachers believe in the ‘teacher is always right’ mentality, but modern students know their rights and will be turned off by anything they perceive as unjust. He adds that teacher training institutions are very superficial and roll out half-baked and not-so-professional products. “These days, teacher trainers focus on course content other than pedagogy – the science of teaching and learning,” he says. Interventions Though students may be occasionally turned off, they are expected to remain focused because school is about holistic training where hard and soft moments are expected. “A student may feel victimised when you punish them for failing a test, but they will only appreciate it when they grow up and realize that you were doing it for their own good,” notes Tom Tabu, a retired teacher and Education consultant. Genuine complaints, though, require interventions, educationists opine. For instance, they believe it is advisable for subjects that require high levels of concentration to be allocated to morning hours. “Subjects such as mathematics, all sciences, economics and physical geography are better understood in the mornings when students’ minds are still fresh,” notes Paul Katumba, a teacher at Zirobwe SS. He, however, says the reverse becomes inevitable in some schools that rely on part-timing teachers who usually dictate the time that they can be available. Both Musisi and Tumwebaze are of the view that every school should be mandated to have a professional counsellor, just like they have sickbays. Both believe most schools have more of psychologically-affected students than those with physical problems. Minor problems could end up escalating to unimaginable levels. “Teacher training schools should emphasise how to teach, not what to teach,” adds Musisi who also calls for in-service trainings to make teachers appreciate changing trends. Today, Kakembo lives in regret. “It was a bad decision that I made, but sometimes school treats you like a prisoner and parents seem not to care,” he says, adding that he is happy that he reconciled with his father. [email protected]
Posted on: Fri, 02 Aug 2013 14:12:17 +0000
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