“It is only a fool who does not change.” This was the response of one school proprietor when I commented on the administrative changes that he had just overseen in his school. Others have said before that change is the only constant and that in case one resists change then change is most likely going to change them eventually. The way schools are managed here in Rwanda largely depends on the ownership structure in place. For most government schools, the management is often shuffled as and when the need arises. The Ministry of Education is fond of transferring head teachers in a bid to improve on the running of a school or simply as a matter of principle to check against a situation where a head teacher overstays in one school something that may breed complacency. The transfer of these head teachers often results in a school’s general improvement in terms of academic and social welfare. The new head teacher is typically obsessed with changing a few things in order to outperform his/her predecessor. With private schools however, the situation is usually different. Since these are primarily setup as business entities with the sole goal of making money, the owner of the school usually serves as the director or head teacher and he immediately involves himself in the day to day running of the school. The micro management of these schools often manifests itself in cases where the head teacher gets involved in the students’ admissions, procurement and even the handling of disciplinary cases all in the name of keeping an eye on the money. In such schools, the owner serves as the head teacher for the all the time the school is in existence. From its inception until death does them apart; death of the head teacher or that of the school. This is why some schools are easily synonymous with their owners. You can just mention the name and one will know the school being talked of. This is because such a situation definitely blurs the line between the school owner and the management. I was therefore impressed when the owner of a certain school on the outskirts of Kigali decided to relinquish his administrative roles and bring in new blood to steer the school to new heights. A new head teacher and a deputy have been brought on board to help the school move forward. Such a move truly shows the wisdom of the school owner. He has appreciated the fact that you need not be the head teacher of your business for ever. It pays to have some new faces with new ideas coming on board to help. This certainly does not mean that you have lost ownership of the school. It is simply that you have outsourced better quality administrators to ensure the continuity of a school. Even Bill Gates long handed of the big office at Microsoft to Steve Ballmer at the time when he realised that he was no longer as useful as he was before. This is the same approach that owners of private schools should consider. Hanging onto the management of the school for years may indeed be the reason a school is stagnating since the same person with archaic ideas is in charge for donkey years. It is possible to look for someone else to manage the school on behalf of the owners who step aside and wait for results. Many companies are known to be successful because their owners look out for the best skilled labour to drive them forward. Schools should also not just look out for good teachers but also the best administrators. Then the owner can sit back and wait for the new administration to perform and meet certain set targets. It is possible to find highly skilled and experienced administrators willing to undertake such tasks. It is high time school owners learnt to embrace change for the better. ssenyonga@gmail.com
