Phikwe schools thrive against odds

Tshwarelo Hosia | Monday February 14, 2022 14:28

Without an appropriate diagnosis of the problem at hand, the system runs the risk of misfiring, misallocation of resources and hopping from one solution to the other without any tangible results. Professor Jaap Kuiper’s study on low student grades in Botswana secondary schools gives a clear picture of the nature of the problem at hand. Kuiper observed that students do not fail, but “schools fail them”.

This is a blunt and less diplomatic position calling on those privileged to teach our children to introspect and take full responsibility of whatever is going in their schools. Schools just like soldiers in a battlefield cannot afford to falter. In the army they say mission failure is not an option. And so schools have a duty to move a large proportion of students into proficiency and this is a noble duty that schools must execute with military precision. Excuse making or scape-goating should not be entertained when the mission is not accomplished. When students do not achieve as expected, it is common to fix the blame on students for being ‘unteachable’ and failure to apply themselves fully on their studies.

While this may have some iota of truth but high performing schools distinguish themselves from others by instilling a rigorous teaching and learning culture. There is no denying the fact that in a particular season, a school can deal with a cohort whose demeanour is a little different from the previous one. This is normal and schools should never expect to be immune from problems. And therefore the behaviour of any particular cohort of students should never be used as an excuse to justify failure. Chronically underachieving schools have a notorious distinction of taking solace in either the behaviour of students or external factors to justify their predicament. By casting their net so wide they are depriving themselves of opportunities to introspect and close instructional gaps.

Essentially, based on school turnaround principles, failing schools are facing instructional challenges and not student or community problem. Low student outcomes demand a review of pedagogy (instruction), assessment, governance and improvement of operational efficiency.

On the contrary, high performing schools attach a high premium on their game changing function. They believe they can thrive and prevail in the midst of adversity. They have confidence in their resilient and robust teaching culture. I guess this is what is sustaining Selebi-Phikwe schools.

This town has seen it all. The closure of the mine and the consequent loss of jobs had the potential to derail teaching and learning. But a strong teaching culture plus a strong culture of school governance have seen Phikwe schools thriving against all odds. It is clearly evident that the geographical location of schools matters very little on student outcomes. Phikwe is exploding the myth and the lie that schools in big cities must outshine schools in less affluent backgrounds.

Phikwe town is overwhelmingly rural with many students coming from poverty stricken and low-income families but these unfortunate circumstances do not inhibit good teaching and learning. This means a school turnaround programme, which pays a high premium on classroom teaching is what the doctor has prescribed for our schools. There seem to be no alternative.