The ordeal of serving reluctant customers

Tshwarelo Hosia | Monday August 31, 2026 06:00

Some think that they are doing someone a favour by being in school. Therefore no school is immune from problems. It is a truism that managing a school is a complex and intricate endeavour. And this is the reason why the question of leadership in schools is paramount. Leadership can make or break a school system. Both high achieving and low achieving schools are equally kept on their toes by a number of issues. For instance the problem of resource constraints especially under the current economic climate is a cross cutting issue applying universally in all schools. But most of the pressing and glaring problems giving schools no respite are issues falling within the realm of governance. Governance is a big issue in schools.

Well managed schools have water tight systems which prevent certain problems which can occur with monotonous regularity elsewhere. When problems do occur, properly managed schools have systems springing into action to restore normalcy. The only distinguishing feature separating different schools is the very thing that keeps a particular school on its toes. Circumstances differ and so are areas of focus. Thriving schools, on the one hand, are purpose driven, giving primacy and attention to the task of assembling enablers supporting and sustaining the momentum of academic success. On the other hand, underachieving schools are always on a ' firefighting mode’ grappling with recurring problems which refuse to go away, no matter how hard they try. Under-achieving schools are usually noise and distractions driven. When a school is not doing well it attracts public scrutiny and unsolicited voices of opinion. The noise from outside, no matter how uninformed, can be unsettling.

While the noise from outside needs attention but giving too much attention to the noise can result in the derailment of the school and de-prioritisation of its core business. A school should never focus to avoid situations where distractions move from the periphery to the center stage. In particular, common problems that particularly plague underachieving schools are poor time management, violation of school rules, low test scores, unkempt surroundings, vandalism and bullying. When dealing with school problems, it is important to dig deep to establish the underlying issues. Most of the issues schools are battling with are symptoms of a structurally flawed education system. Beneath the surface could lie structural flaws, which hardly receive attention.

The challenge is that most schools are dealing with what they see on the surface without necessarily delving into the underlying 'facts” behind the outward conduct of students. The problem of absenteeism or dropouts could be a reflection of something bigger. Students can misbehave because they feel like strangers in a school that is supposed to be theirs. Suspension of a student for committing a particular transgression particular can only cause the student to pause but it does not necessarily stamp out a culture of rebellion from the school. The worst form of indiscipline a school can ever experience is academic indiscipline. Academic indiscipline is a condition where a school is completely adrift, having lost its sense of purpose.

This is a situation where students do not fully apply themselves and this is compounded by a culture of impunity. When students are disengaged from the teaching and learning process, they tend to seek attention and relief in other adventures which may clash with school policies. Academic indiscipline creates a fertile ground for bullying, crime, late coming and vandalism among other vices. Addressing these challenges cannot depend on disciplinary action alone. Other measures such as raising the quality of instruction and coaching should be explored. A school should endeavour to make teaching and learning not only impactful in terms of student learning outcomes but learning should be exciting. Learners should not think that they are doing anybody a favour by coming to school.

They should come to school because they feel valued and respected. Students will always resent an environment where they think they are underappreciated. School systems together with supporting oversight institutions should endeavour to go beyond dealing with superficial matters. Structural flaws are the root cause of problems and should be dealt with.