Layibi College, SMACK in exchange programme

Students of St Joseph’s College, Layibi being checked after their arrival at St Mary’s College, Kisubi for the exchange programme last week. PHOTO BY STEPHEN OTAGE

St. Mary’s College Kisubi (Smack) is hosting 42 students of St Joseph’s College, Layibi and eight of their teachers for a one-week academic tour to understand what makes the 110-year-old school one of the top performers in the country.

According to Methodius Pacific Otto, the chairman Layibi Old Students Association, this is the second year the Old Students’ Association (LACOBA) is bringing the students and teachers to Smack to benchmark against the academics programmes so that they can transfer the same back home.

“This is a great opportunity for you to share knowledge and benchmark against the good practices which you can transfer back home so that we can see the change we want in Layibi because the learning environment is changing,” he said.

Tony Awany, Uganda’s ambassador to the United Arab Emirates who received the students on Sunday, said the students should be able to learn from their Smack counterparts because they are not different from one another. But they should also study the approach the school uses to ensure that students grasp what they are taught in order to pass the examinations. “Previously we did not have internet but today we have free information flow. When you return home, ask why Layibi does things the way they do because our generation did not have such opportunities,” he said adding that with better facilities now, there is no excuse for the school to continue performing averagely.

Learn from one another
Robert Oluka, the director of studies at Smack, said there is nothing extraordinary they do at the school to make students pass. He urged the Layibi students to point out new things they will identify at the school so that they can share the lessons.

“It is easier for students to understand Chemistry when the concepts are introduced to them in Senior One than Senior Four in which case it becomes pointless,” he said.

According to Robert Okello Abwola, the secretary academics and talent development, this is part of the school’s five year strategy for cultural transformation tasking the team to understand why in O-Level, examinations, Layibi College came 93 against Smack which was number 3 while in A-Level examinations, Layibi College was number 503 against Smack which was number six.