The answer is a strong and unequivocal yes. Yes, they can. Nothing is impossible. Working in an atmosphere of adversity, public schools had acquitted themselves well in some distant past. There was a lean period in the history of the education sector where financial and human resources constraints did not permit adequate and equitable supply of teachers and learning materials. The one other glaring limiting factor was the fact that regional support divisions were limited to certain major geographical centres and the situation was further exacerbated by lack of accessible and all weather roads, making travelling to far flung places a very frustrating and daunting experience.
Visits to schools by oversight institutions were not a common occurrence but were rare and far between. Schools were, in the literal sense, on their own. Interestingly, subjected to an environment of adversity, the business of teaching and learning, albeit without hiccups, was conducted with distinction. It is clear that when moved by passion and love for what they do, people can withstand the worst of circumstances. When weaned from the central ministry and regional structures and granted the space, public schools can execute quite efficiently and effectively their teaching and learning responsibilities as stand-alone and autonomous entities.
