The power of collective wisdom

Tshwarelo Hosia | Monday April 20, 2026 06:00

Tapping into the strengths, passions and unique experiences of individual members of the team is a mark of good governance and visionary leadership. A school seeking to outcompete its peers and achieve its instructional objectives should have, and marshal an open door policy designed to motivate all members of the school community to contribute their best selves at every stage of its development. Ancillary staff can play a vital role in the academic prosperity of a school.

Any school that desire to excel and exceed expectations should master the art of harnessing the genius and power of the whole school community without any discrimination. Those in position of authority should never think they have the panacea to the challenges that dog their schools. This situation in schools calls for tapping into the 'horse power' of the ancillary personnel. A school can only ignore the power of its ancillary staff at its own peril. Ancillary staff can become game changers, given the opportunity and space to fully participate in the affairs of their schools. At this junction, a testimony can help send a clear message. Recently, I had the privilege of attending a school staff awards in which among others, a school messenger was honoured for going above and beyond the normal call of duty. She stepped up and assumed additional duties of a class teacher. This responsibility is hitherto the preserve and monopoly of teachers in many schools. To its credit, the school in question did not bar this member of the ancillary staff from executing duties beyond her role. The school messenger was the toast of the day as the class under her care, which was reported to be a difficult class, managed to outperform and outfox all classes in the Junior Certificate Examinations. She was deservedly honoured for fixing what appeared to be a broken class. This special case clearly demonstrates that the fate of students should not solely rest on the labours of the teaching troops but all people who work in schools. One of the roadblocks to creating a collaborative and all engaging instructional culture could be emanating from compartmentalisation of the human resource.

While it serves a useful administrative purpose, compartmentalisation can be counterproductive in a school setting. If prioritised and religiously followed compartmentalisation keeps individual teams on their lines. A school may not achieve its purpose if job descriptions and silos assume precedence over pragmatism. A pragmatic approach focuses on what solutions can possibly reverse a culture of academic underachievement while promoting an effective and engaging instructional culture that serves all students. One of the factors that define an under achieving school is the prevalence and dominance of silos - where everyone thinks within the precincts of their job description while remaining unconcerned with the status of the big picture. Disjointed school environments are characterised by total focus on job descriptions to the detriment of the ever-growing demands and changing circumstances of a school. Yet the reality is that the manifold challenges bedevilling schools are not confined to job descriptions. Problems as they arise call for innovation and paradigm shift beyond the precincts of roles. The primary goal of a school is to upgrade student-learning outcomes and attainment of the goal demands a collaborative and supportive culture.

This means unleashing the individual genius and energies of every member of the team including ancillary staff. Other than their normal duties, it is important to tap into a repertoire of experiences, skills, and backgrounds of the members of the ancillary staff members in the quest of building a thriving and effective instructional culture. Working as a driver or cook does not mean one may not have additional knowledge and skills, which may benefit schools they are serving. Everyone should be sensitised to think beyond their role and offer they to advance the teaching and learning interests of the students. All members of the school community should always think of what they can do to make their school better than yesterday.

Ancillary staff members are talented in many fields ranging from different sporting codes, sports, and creative arts. All in all, silos are a major obstacle to building thriving schools. Creating a shared responsibility vibe can certainly make a profound difference. Schools require a dedicated team of problem solvers, not worshippers of theories and ideologies detached from reality.