Success is the result of teamwork and dedication, Kiberu says

“A good teacher must be exemplary in everything he does, and at all times in terms of discipline, dress, language in school and outside school, and must also observe professional ethics. A good teacher should also be a parental figure and treat the students as if they were their own children,” said Mr Stanley Kiberu, the Headteacher of Sam Iga Memorial College, Maganjo.

Mr Kiberu, who has been teaching for 30 years, adds that a good teacher must be committed and dedicated. “And that means they have to do what they have to do, namely not dodging classes, not being late and always being there when needed. ready to help the students in any way possible.”

According to Kiberu, a good teacher must also have knowledge of the content he is teaching. “And he must also be willing to keep learning, because you can’t know everything. It is also important that you develop emotional intelligence and be able to control your anger. But above all, fearing God for this means that we must embrace a culture of sincerity at all times,” says Kiberu.

Who is Kiberu? Born in Nakasongola over 50 years ago to George William Mubiru and Halima Nabwami, Kiberu graduated from Makerere University in 1994 with a bachelor’s degree in education before pursuing a master’s degree in educational administration, management and planning from Ndejje University. began teaching at a private school, St Kizito High School Bethany, in 1995, on secondment, a government policy that at the time allowed government-paid teachers to work in private schools. schools,” Kiberu explains.

In 2000, Kiberu was transferred to Wakatayi Secondary School before being transferred to Kagurwe SS in Kabasanda in 2010, where he served until 2016 when he was promoted to deputy head teacher and transferred to Mpenja SS. “I served here for a year and was appointed acting headteacher at Bujubi SS in Mityana district before being appointed substantive headteacher in 2019. In 2020, I was appointed Ndeba SS Headteacher in Kayunga District and in 2022, I was transferred to Sam Iga Memorial College as Headteacher,” he said.

Bujubi SS Due to his work at Mpenja, Bujubi SS’s parents rejected the government seconded headteacher and instead worked for Kiberu as acting head. And here he found the school in ruins. Teacher attendance was very low, teachers missed classes for weeks without punitive measures being taken, and students were unruly. “I started an attitude change for teachers and became strict on indiscipline by imposing punitive measures.

The parents had lost hope and confidence in the school and did not care whether their children went to school or not. So I organized meetings in their villages to educate them about their responsibilities,” says Kiberu.

“I also started a war on teenage pregnancies by working closely with parents to arrest unscrupulous men who were impregnating these girls, and soon the number of teenage pregnancies plummeted. I also introduced compulsory lunch, set up a boarding department and soon our academic performance improved significantly: five first grades in two consecutive sessions, compared to the previously recorded zeros. Enrollment has also improved significantly,” he says.

To save costs, Kiberu planted eucalyptus trees for timber and firewood, set up a banana plantation and solicited a cow with the long-term aim of providing milk to teachers and students. Ndeeba SS Due to his appearance at Bujubi SS, the Diocese of Mukono identified Kiberu and requested him to join one of their schools, the Ndeeba SS in Kayunga District. In February 2020, the ministry transferred Kiberu to the Ndeeba SS and exactly a month later the schools were closed due to Covid-19.

“However, I continued to work, checking the school weekly and liaising with various stakeholders. With the help of the government grant given to schools at that time, I built a large hall. The school did not have a large hall and exam time would be difficult as other classes had nowhere to study,” he said. “I also took advantage of the campaign time and asked for support from politicians.

And we were especially supported by Mr. Amos Lugolobi, the local Member of Parliament, and by the time the schools reopened, the main hall was completed. I also started writing proposals to fund other upcoming projects, especially to the Japanese Embassy, ​​which agreed to give us funding for a girls’ dormitory. I was also able to access funding from the district to set up classrooms,” he adds.

Sam Iga Memorial School Like the other schools, Kiberu was headhunted by the Namirembe Diocese for his work at the Ndeeba SS and he took over from the then headteacher who retired. “And Sam Iga Memorial has proven to be a very interesting school. with a very cooperative staff, a supportive foundation body and the board. The outgoing principal has played her part in improving and transforming the school for the better and I am also trying to contribute to her achievements,” said Kiberu.

“When I joined, I discovered a number of cases of indiscipline, including infiltration by criminal gangs, and this is mainly due to our slum. I quickly set up a strong disciplinary committee and this has been effective in flushing out these criminals from the school boundaries,” he said. “We have also strengthened the guidance and counseling department so that we can talk more to our students, especially because of their underprivileged children. backgrounds and vulnerability. And over time, these have become good and responsible students,” he adds.

According to Mrs Mariah Namukasa, a long-serving teacher at Sam Iga, Kiberu has rejuvenated the co-curricular activities which had been completely phased out. “We now do in-house athletics, football, MDD and indoor games such as table tennis, chess, volleyball and woodball, competing up to the national level,” says Namukasa.

“And he has strengthened other clubs, especially debate clubs, patriotism, scouts and health clubs, which has helped us connect with the community. Here we clean and donate to communities in need, helping our children develop empathy, kindness and generosity,” she says. Kigundu Collins, the deputy principal in charge of academics, says Kiberu is a very good administrator, innovative, frugal and hardworking and the school is in safe hands.

“He has introduced a number of measures to improve academic performance, the most notable being the motivation of both teachers and students. “He introduced prizes to motivate the students, especially a motorcycle for the best performing student in both UCE and UACE and cash prizes for those with more than 18 marks in UACE and 8-10 aggregates in UCE and the results have been incredible. In 2023 we have increased from 26 first grades in 2021 to 54 in 2022 and 76 in 2023 with 8, 9 and 10 groups, while at A level the best had 17 at A level in 2022 and 19 points in 2023 and more three had 18 points,” Mr Kigundu explained.

“He also worked on the water challenge by digging an underground well and purchasing three water tanks. He has also purchased a generator to ensure that the school is supplied with power at all times, including the school machines. He also bought land to expand the school and equipped the computer lab with more computers and the library with necessary literature,” Kigundu added. Kiberu attributes his success to hard work, teamwork, transparency, respect for all and dedication and commitment. dedication.

“I can’t remember ever missing a single day of class even though I’m healthy and well and always give 100 percent to my work,” says Kiberu.

The year Kiberu joined the Sam Iga Memorial after being headhunted by the Namirembe Diocese for his work with the Ndeeba SS. He took over from the then director who retired. “And Sam Iga Memorial has proven to be a very interesting school, with a very cooperative staff, supportive foundation body and board. The outgoing principal has played her part in improving and transforming the school for the better and I am also trying to contribute to her achievements,” said Kiberu.

Kibibi Central College Prior to this, in 1998, Kiberu started a school, Kibibi Central College, as a young classroom teacher and it remains one of his greatest achievements. “I started the school with about Shs600,000. The school is still standing and is doing well considering the circumstances. Even though I was still a young man, I was able to maintain the school and maintain a high level of discipline and academics,” he says. Mpenja SS “Because of my role as principal of Kibibi Central College, I commanded respect and had the confidence and experience needed to run a school. I therefore worked closely with the principal and together we ensured that teachers attended classes and prioritized discipline among the students. The principal trusted me and I often chaired regular meetings and even in his absence the school ran smoothly,” Kiberu explains.