In Uganda, it is usually the government schools that tend to maintain a good standard of academic excellence, as compared to private schools. Yes, private schools usually come up at the top of the table every now and then, but they barely maintain the standard.
This is due to a couple of reasons that range from financial to teaching techniques. They include the following;
1. They are adequately funded
The government funds its schools, and this puts them at a far better place than a couple of private schools whose proprietors are not financially well enough.
The advantages include
- Access to lots of materials, including books in the library, equipment in the science and computer labs, etcetera.
- They have better facilities, in terms of buildings and furniture.
- Can accommodate a large number of students, since they are usually situated on vast pieces of land. This enables a large number of students to attend, which boosts competition.
- Have access to the best teachers.
2. They vet their applicants.
Since most private schools are started by entrepreneurs seeking to make more money, some of them tend to accept a large number of students without a credible vetting system.
However, this increases chances of registering poor performances in the private institution.
The government schools usually interview their potential students even after being presented with a good report from the former school.
This means they’ll only admit you after they prove that you are worthy enough.
3. Their students have access to affordable education.
This is because many of the public funded universities are not founded as a profit generating venture, but as a way to boost the education standard in the country.
- The fees are kept at a manageable level
- Scholarships are provided
- The standards and cost of living id not too high as in some private high end schools
4. The decisions don’t depend on only one person
In public institutions, there exists a whole hierarchy and by the time the decision is enacted, everyone in the hierarchy supports it. Here are some disadvantages of having only one decision maker;
- Suggestions are usually perceived as challenges to their authority.
- Irrational decisions made under heated and uncontrolled emotions.
- It does not take a reasonable time for the decisions to be enacted, thus breeding mistakes that come from those decisions almost immediately
5. They have access to the best teachers
As a result of usually being the prestigious and high paying universities, there is a high chance that they always get multiple tons of applications sent in every year and they always do lots of background checks and due diligence before they even hire anyone.
6. They always change administration
Sometimes, the one factor that breeds lots of faulty decisions is the fact that some people stay in power for so long. This is mainly a problem in private schools, and that’s why the school can easily decline under the following circumstances;
- If the proprietor is sick
- Old age/ senility
- Death of the proprietor
- If they appoint the wrong person to follow in their footsteps
7. They are not dependent on number of students so they can always reduce the numbers and keep a manageable few.
If your primary goal is to reap as much benefits as you can, it is really easy to set the bar so low, so that you can attract a large number of students from all walks of life.
This means you ,might not have high chances of performing better than the public schools.
8. They are always inspected
To maintain the quality and to avoid the possible transgression of their rules and protocol, the government always makes sure that the schools are inspected and if any case is found out, the administrators are liable for it.
9. They have the trust of parents
Many parents find it easy to trust these schools that have been around and they have probably gone to them too, and they have maintained a good standard of education despite all the challenges.
10. They have stood the test of time
Many government schools have a colonialist or missionary background, and we have many such schools that have been around for 50-100 years.
That is an incredible amount of time and its relation to the quality of education offered, cannot be neglected.
11. The job market recognizes these schools
Besides the obvious fact that these institutions have very many alumni out there in the job market, there is also the fact that mentioning your schools says something about your intelligence, conduct, work ethic and ability to solve problems.
Conclusion;
There are many schools these days that have been started by individuals, but who are more liberal in nature, that they are able to tell when necessary decisions have to be made, even if it means taking themselves off the top of the chain of command.