Last week City Parents School was one of many that closed for the third term holidays. Abubaker Mayemba spoke to the deputy head teacher, PAUL RICHARD KASADHA, about what they have in store for next year.
Starting next year, City Parents School will open its doors to boarding section pupils. According to Kasadha, they decided to open up a boarding section as a measure of new strategies to consolidate the school’s performance.
He explained that the boarding section would enable pupils to concentrate more on academics, leading to better grades. He added that they would start by admitting primary seven candidates into the boarding section and are expecting to take in about 300 pupils, next year.
“We want to put up this service where a child will feel like he or she is home because we want to establish a facility that parents will accept as very conducive,” said Kasadha. “We don’t want our children to be congested and we really want to provide a good learning environment for them.”
Kasadha said they plan to expand the school and set up annex campuses to cater for those far from the city centre, as this would also help decongest the Mengo campus.
The deputy school head described performance and discipline as the main foundations of the institution and the reason why it has managed to stay among the country’s top schools.
He also attributed the school’s success to the cordial relationship between teachers, parents and pupils. The news has excited some pupils, who have just completed their P6; Caroline Tendo, Mwesige Kirabo, Petronella Tendo and Melissa Kagole. They say they are proud of their school and hope this will work to ensure good grades in national exams.
“We take our teachers as our mothers and fathers. They don’t stop at teaching but encourage us in what we can do,” says 12-year-old Tendo, who wants to be a neurosurgeon. “Not everyone is good at academics. They tell us that someone who is the worst in class can be the best out there.”
However, Aman Ssemogerere, Obrien Ajunga and Warren Manzi say they are looking forward to passing their PLE next year, and hope to remain a part of the school, even after that.
“Despite being a Muslim, I freely interact with children of different religious backgrounds … spending time in the school mosque has enabled me strengthen my faith.” Ssemogerere says.
The head prefect, Melody Zalwango, says she has improved public speaking abilities and has been encouraged to be a leader on the national stage.
“We are treated equally and the relationship between us and the teachers is so close, it does not stop in class but even outside class they engage you,” says Zalwango. “Teachers focus on academics and current affairs so that they raise an informed child.”
Kasadha added that they had encouraged their teachers and pupils to interact with mutual respect, in the hope that the values would reflect on others. He added that the school would acquire a new security card to strengthen the safety of the children, starting next term.
City Parents School was founded in 1999.
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