Education stakeholders have been urged to establish schools with strong financial, administrative and leadership systems that can sustain institutions long after their founders and head teachers leave.
Sam Kuloba, a retired Commissioner for Secondary Schools in the Ministry of Education and Sports, said the success of a school should not be measured only by its academic performance or physical infrastructure, but also by its ability to remain stable and grow through changes in leadership.
“Establishing a school requires major investment, but the continuing financial challenges begin after opening it,” Kuloba said.
He was speaking at a Stanbic Business Forum held at Mount Elgon Hotel in Mbale on Tuesday.
The forum, held under the theme, “The Extra Mile: Building Schools for a Sustainable Future,” brought together education stakeholders from the Eastern Region to discuss ways of strengthening the long term sustainability of schools.
Kuloba urged school proprietors and administrators to look beyond classrooms and academic results and establish institutions capable of withstanding financial, leadership and operational challenges.
He said schools should professionalise their financial management through realistic budgeting, proper accounting, transparent reporting and responsible expenditure.
“Schools should also diversify legitimate sources of income, develop three to five year strategic plans and prioritise completing projects instead of starting many projects at the same time. They should also explore partnerships with financial institutions to support their development plans,” Kuloba said.
He said sustainability should be deliberately planned for before challenges arise.
“As we talk about a sustainable future, we must start today. We must build the schools we want tomorrow by putting the right systems in place today,” he said.
Kuloba also called for professional management, accountability, succession planning and teamwork, warning against building schools around individual personalities or the capabilities of particular founders and head teachers.
He said investment in teachers was equally critical to the long term success of schools.
“Invest in the teacher. When you invest in the teacher, you improve learning outcomes. That is sustainability. You are building for the future, not just for today,” he said.
Kuloba further encouraged school owners to embrace technology responsibly, strengthen partnerships with government and the private sector and invest in appropriate infrastructure.
“The real measure of leadership is not whether the institution depends on you. It is whether the institution can continue to perform, grow and deliver quality education even when you are no longer there,” he said.
Tunde Thorpe, the Executive Head of Business and Commercial Banking at Stanbic, said schools play a broader role in Uganda’s economic development beyond providing education.
“Over the years, we have helped individuals, schools, entrepreneurs and institutions move from ambition to action by financing growth, enabling payments, building capability and connecting businesses to opportunity. Over UGX5 trillion of Stanbic money is invested in different sectors of the economy,” Thorpe said.
He said the impact of financial institutions should not be measured solely by the size of their balance sheets, but also by the transformation their financing enables.
“Impact is not measured only by the size of a balance sheet. It is also seen in the school that expands responsibly, the teacher who is better supported, the young person who gains relevant skills, the woman who builds a sustainable enterprise, and the farmer who can produce, add value and reach a dependable market,” he said.
Thorpe said Uganda’s ambition to expand its economy from about US$50 billion to US$500 billion by 2040 would require significant investment in human capital.
“As Uganda aims to grow its economy from about US$50 billion to US$500 billion by 2040, driven by agro-industrialisation, tourism, mineral development, and science, technology and innovation, we need to know that human capital is not a footnote to the tenfold growth ambition. It is one of its foundations,” he said.
Hassan Nkuutu, the Senior Education Inspector of Mbale, called for continuous professional development, refresher courses and training for education inspectors.
“If the education system is changing, those responsible for monitoring it must also continuously develop their skills. We should also strengthen childhood education and foundational skills,” Nkuutu said.
Melisa Nyakwera, Stanbic’s Head of Commercial Banking, said the bank was prepared to support school proprietors beyond financing classroom construction.
“Previously, there has been a challenge of managing finances by different school proprietors. However, as Stanbic, we are very deliberate in ensuring sustainable development of schools by going beyond classrooms,” Nyakwera said.
“Developing a school is about building more than classrooms. It is about building a sustainable future for generations to come. We are glad to be part of this journey to build the education system of the generations to come,” she said.
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