How Mbale’s Mulatsi SS is adapting to the new curriculum

Mbale, (UG):- Mulatsi Senior Secondary School, which serves the districts of Mbale and parts of Manafwa, is located about 10 kilometres from Mbale City along the Mbale–Lwakhakha Highway in Bukiende Subcounty. The school is under the Church of Uganda.

The Headteacher, Mr. Peter Samanya, who assumed leadership of the school three years ago, says he has transformed the institution through teamwork with other administrators. “You can’t run a school alone,” he says.

“I have ensured that everyone in the school makes a contribution to the well-being of our learners right from our sanitary officers, kitchen staff, students, parents, board members, PTA, and teachers, up to the headmaster. We run this school jointly, and each of us has a role to play.”

Mr. Samanya emphasizes that the school has achieved impressive academic performance by adopting student-based learning. He highlights that the school board recently lobbied the government to allocate additional staff, resolving previous staffing challenges.

Some students interviewed for this story expressed their excitement about becoming proficient in ICT. The school has integrated ICT into all lessons, encouraging learners to conduct personal investigations and research in various disciplines. “This is a student-centred curriculum,” insists Mr. Samanya.

The headteacher also notes that the school has a well-structured counselling and guidance system, which has significantly promoted discipline among students and in the surrounding community.

Cultural Institution’s Role in Education

The spokesperson of Inzu Ya Masaba, Mr. Steven Masiga, reaffirmed the role of the cultural institution in supporting government programs, including education.

“The Umukuka is mandated by the Constitution of Uganda and the Cultural Leaders Act to mobilize his subjects to benefit from Universal Primary Education (UPE), Universal Secondary Education (USE), and other government education programs,” he stated.

Mr Masiga further revealed that Inzu Ya Masaba is currently mobilizing communities to embrace education. “We intend to push local governments to introduce bylaws and ordinances that will penalize parents who fail to take their children to school,” he added.

The Umukuka is scheduled to tour all schools in Masabaland to assess the success of UPE and USE within his kingdom.