Mr Mathias Lubega. PHOTO/OWEN WAGABAZA
With more than 30 years in Uganda’s education sector, Mr Mathias Lubega has seen it all from crumbling school systems to groundbreaking reform. His journey as a teacher and leader is a powerful reminder that the future of education lies not only in infrastructure and curriculum but also in the art of effective communication.
“At the end of the day, what matters most is the kind of student we produce, one who can adapt, survive, and thrive in a fast-changing world,” Lubega says.
He strongly believes that the competency-based curriculum (CBC) is a game-changer, one that will not only improve Uganda’s education system but also impact the economy.
“In a few years, we will be producing graduates equipped with real-world skills. The CBC will help curb the unemployment crisis that is troubling our nation,” says Lubega.
The journey
Lubega began his teaching career in 1991 at Kitagobwa Secondary School in Butambala District. Just a year in, he was appointed acting deputy head teacher, a testament to his determination, drive, and work ethic for five years.
“Back then, there were few qualified teachers, but I had energy, focus, and a passion for results,” he recalls.
In 2004, his leadership journey would take him to Wakatayi SS in Luwero District, where he served as a careers master, then to St John’s Vocational School Karere as head teacher. In 2010, Lubega was transferred Semuto Secondary School where he did five years. Eventually to Kisenyi Lake View SS in Nakasongola, where his impact was nothing short of transformational.
Kisenyi Lake View SS Nakasongola
When Lubega arrived, the school was in turmoil, plagued by administrative gaps, land disputes, and poor academic performance. His first step was clear communication and stakeholder engagement. “We organised sensitisation meetings, built a functional Board of Governors, and trained staff on their roles in school management and learning,” he explains.
To resolve land conflicts, Lubega used parent welfare savings to buy out squatters and reclaimed five acres of land. He planted a eucalyptus forest to cut firewood costs. Then came the academic turnaround.
Teacher motivation improved, and in just a few years, the school saw its first batch of first-grades in more than five years, a culture that has endured. When he joined, enrollment stood at 300. By the time he left, it had grown to more than 850 students, a clear vote of confidence from the community.
Reviving Lutete SS
In 2022, Lubega was posted to Lutete SS, a government-aided USE school still reeling from the impact of Covid-19 pandemic. Student morale was low, and discipline had broken down. He wasted no time. One of the major challenges that he encountered was that students’ attitudes towards studying had changed, and indiscipline was high.
“Without discipline, nothing meaningful can happen in a school. We introduced a zero-tolerance policy, and within months, the school’s image had drastically improved,” Lubega says. The results speak volumes in 2021, the school got 21 first grades, 24 in 2022, 22 in 2023 and in the recently released 2024 results, all candidates passed with result one.
A-Level has also improved greatly both in performance and enrollment. Prior, the entire A-Level section would have had not more than 40 students, but it currently has more than 240 students.
“We ensure to do the basics, notably teachers teaching, marking the tests and exams and returning the results. We also have remedial lessons to boost candidate classes in syllabus coverage as well as administering short topical tests, which helps learners to master the concepts, and where they have challenges, this allows us to correct them,” Lubega explains.
Building more than just grades
The head teacher has constructed a five-classroom block, a modern school gate, procured and installed CCTV cameras and is constructing a perimeter wall fence around the school to improve the safety and security of the students.
Mr Lubega has addressed water issues by sinking a borehole to supplement the National Water due to the surging student population. He installed a water purifying pump to curb the challenge of typhoid that was ravaging the school, renovated the student hostels, the head teacher’s house, and procured a standby generator to ensure a reliable power supply.
“We have planted a four-acre forest in response to the government’s call to green schools, but we are also hopeful that it will enable us to save lots of money on firewood,” he says. This year the school qualified for the district post primary football competitions for boys and girls.
They are also big in music dance and drama and have since recorded a seven-track album. Team says Mr Joseph Ssemambo, the deputy head teacher, says Lubega is foresighted and a go-getter.
“He looks at the bigger picture of something and forges strategies to achieve it. He is also always looking at making the staff better, mostly in what they do, but also in their welfare. He is developmental, and in the short time he has been here, so much has been achieved,” Ssemambo explains.
Mr Eriphazi Erikson Kivumbi says Lubega is a team player, hardworking and transformative. “He prioritises the welfare of students and the staff, ensures that we get all the scholastic needs. This has enabled the school to greatly improve academically,” Mr Kivumbi says.
His two cents
Lubega calls on teachers to learn the art of effective communication, have a vision for education excellence, develop the ability to foster community building, and be excellent time managers and passionate about their work.
“Teachers should live by example, and this is through commitment, integrity and enthusiasm exhibited in their work,” says Lubega.
Brief background
Born in Kasawo, Mukono District, Lubega attended Magwa Primary School before joining Kasawo Secondary School for O and A-Level, then National Teachers College, Nkozi. He graduated in 1991 with a diploma in education, majoring in Geography and History. He later joined Uganda Christian University Mukono, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in education in 2008 and in 2016, he attained a Master’s degree in Education management and planning, still from Uganda Christian University.
