The Bible verse, Matthew 7:15-20, clarifies between a good and a bad tree, where it warns of false prophets, who come in sheep’s skin, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. Indeed, in the education sector today, some individuals cannot be trusted with children, as they are more concerned with minting money than love and care, while to others, it is indeed a calling.
You Will Know Them by Their Fruits
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into fire. Therefore, by their fruits you will know them.”
Each school setting is entitled to a school head, who is supposed to oversee the school’s program and ensure the institution’s progress.
Though some school heads have emerged victorious when it comes to producing results, others have miserably failed despite availability of resources by both parents and government in case of public schools.
Susan Wamala Sserunkuuma, the headteacher of Mukono Boarding Primary School, a Church founded but government aided school, has proved to be among the best school heads in Mukono Municipality and in Mukono diocese. She doubles as the head of both Mukono Municipality and Mukono diocese Primary schools headteachers’ associations.
As it is, Wamala has moved from struggling for progress of her own school and has instead for years been tirelessly pushing for joint development of all schools in the association she heads.
As a wakeup call to the not-so-good 2024 PLE performance in general terms, parents, school administrators and communities were downhearted but as many were busy lamenting, hoping and wishing, Wamala got her mind at work.
She immediately devised a multiplier effect system of training examination class teachers to be equipped with special skills of teaching learners with a view to get practical, not only theoretical experience.
At a personal level, Wamala has touched the lives of many teachers in her own school, Mukono Boarding Primary School and others from elsewhere, and individual scholars who, because of her motherly guidance, counselling and financial assistance, have charted success in life.
In her own words, the determined sounding teacher narrates the hat tricks she has been employing for years, enabling her to be the proud claimant of shining lives of many:
She started a program for both Mukono Municipality and Mukono diocese schools, way back in 2012 when she hosted the Mayor of then Guilford City in UK, Ms. Tamsy Baker.
She says the program was code-named, LUNCH 4 ALL, intended to fulfil the SDG number two of Zero hunger.
On being conducted around some schools, the UK Mayor realized there were fewer learners at school than the ones who were supposed to be there, and on inquiring, she was told that the problem was hunger.
Realising that many schools especially government ones, had vast unutilized chunks of land, Wamala initiated a project of distributing maize seeds for planting on this land for processing into flour for children’s meals at school. “We began with three schools but as we speak now, many more are able to feed their learners without much difficulty,” she said.
Wamala says she initiated co-operation with friends in Seattle, USA, who supplied her school with 800 boxes of books and scholastic materials annually, and that on realising that it was too much for use by her school alone, she took on board 41 other schools who began benefitting from the American assistance.
“With Sister Schools, USA, resource centres were constructed in schools to promote literacy in schools, which is a key factor in performance. Schools that benefited are: Kisowera Church of Uganda Primary School, Ntaawo Public School, Mukono Town Muslim,” she said.
Later, the donors visited the schools they were assisting and this marked the beginning of the Sister Schools co-operation.
“Today we have a big network – Danish friends gave us solar lights under the programme code-named SUNLIGHT. We gave some to teachers, then to parents with our pupils which enabled the learners to do their home assignments with much ease, away from the traditional smoke emitting kerosene lamps,” she said.
In other forms of assistance, the headteachers’ boss says she has provided uniforms to 12 schools in the district and the municipality through lobbying from foreign friends, and is the author of the Teachers’ Week from the one-day Teachers’ day. The arrangements she notes, has given them the opportunity to interact more closely with communities through things like cleaning markets, hospitals and other public places.
In a similar manner, Wamala says they identified one government and one private schools for painting (Bishop’s East and Makula respectively), and adds that these and other incentives like shoes for learners have helped to create change.
She said they have a long term objective of totally doing away with ungraded candidates envisaged in the use of fellow teachers from well performing schools to help sensitize their peers on how to work in a result oriented manner.
Because the fight for better grades in all schools in Mukono Municipality is key in her mind, in 2016 her schools began a central mock examinations arrangement for all the primary schools in Mukono Municipality, and following the positive registered, the idea has been replicated in almost every municipality and districts.
Wamala’s tips for excellence
She says that key issues are; self-confidence, learning daily from people around you, yearning to excel like others, and seeking satisfaction from people you serve. “Things like tidiness are not for sale anywhere, but are virtues taken from others who have done it successfully,” she observed.
“One surest way of leading oneself to failure is being jealous of others, instead of learning from them what is worth learning”, Wamala cautioned.
And finally, Wamala gave teachers a tip for remaining unchanged from school to school – develop your school and keep this going up and up and then commit your institution to God.
Susan Wamala Sserunkuuma’s other responsibilities?
- Chairperson Headteachers’ Association for both Mukono Municipality and Mukono Diocese.
- General Secretary Mukono – Guildford Link
- Vice Board Chairperson – Centenary College School
- Vice Board Chairperson, Mukono Diocese SACCO
The inspiration of Susan Wamala Sserunkuuma, what others say?
Allen Nassuuna, former student: She has been my rock and guiding principle for all that I call success in my life. From Maama Wamala, I have picked the importance of education and I have been able to pursue my dream basing on the foundation she built for me.
In 2008 after completing my secondary education at Bishop’s Secondary School, my dad lost a job and I couldn’t pursue my university education to finalisation. Somehow, my dad got in touch with her and they talked about me at great length.
She invited me, directed me to get admission forms from Makerere University, paid for my tuition and by then my Mum had passed on, so inside me, I knew God had given me a new mum. Today I am a successful employee of Stanbic Bank.
Through Mrs. Wamala’s assistance, I have learnt to be a hard worker, always targeting excellence, have unwavering love especially for those in need, resilience and selflessness no matter how financially weak.
James Mombwe, a teacher at Mukono Boarding Primary School: My boss has been an exceptional instrument in my teaching career. After completing S.6, I came to her school to get computer skills but I ended up becoming an examination marker for P.7.
I then became an office messenger and one day, in the course of my work, Mrs. Wamala asked me when I would ever proceed with my education. I gave her the bitter but right answer – I had no money.
She advised me to get a vacancy in Iganga and she footed my education requirements till finalisation. As if that were not enough, she footed my wedding bills.
Jennifer Nakirya – in charge of admissions in Mukono Boarding School: Mukyala Wamala is a rare class of employer. She has assisted staff members, askaris, cooks, gardeners – to pay fees for their stranded children. Many have been connected to international funders while others were attached to sponsors from Vision for Africa and State House schemes.
Martha Birabwa: I joined Mukono Boarding Primary School in P.3 in 2004. In 2005, Mrs Wamala came as the new headmistress and she was always seen struggling to see that every learner had lunch.
She became interested in me in P.5 and she has been passionate about my education like for all other learners in the school. Wamala has a great zeal for bringing out the best in everybody. Through her, I got a scholarship. …While at Mukono Boarding, I was chosen to represent my school, along with eight other learners, to the US, I couldn’t believe how I ended up getting this opportunity which wasn’t for everybody, but through Mrs Wamala. I am now in my final semester, aspiring to become a dental surgeon. I studied at Seeta High, Mt. St. Mary’s Namagunga and am now at Makerere University pursuing my bachelore’s degree in dentistry.
Elly Nkalubo – Member School Management Committee: All the time, Mrs Wamala’s life is attached to how children can be happy. She has touched the lives of many, some up to when they graduate, and many more until when they become self-sustaining.
Women have been taught how to produce responsible children. She is always all out to be a player in getting people to the top in whatever engagements they are undertaking. No discrimination to the people she assists
Wamala has lobbied for funds abroad to upgrade our school and many others. Mukono Boarding can now almost equitably compete with traditional first world schools.