School is more than academic excellence says Namulema

“While we impart academic excellence in our students, what is most important is the product that will come out and fit in the dynamic world. Regardless of the mastery in different subjects or the grades scored, it matters that we equip our students with skills and traits that will enable them survive when they are on their own,” Agnes Namulema Katongole Ssebayigga, a seasoned educationist, observes. 
Namulema says it is important for teachers to live by example and tell students about the things that will be beneficial in moulding them into responsible and focused citizens. 
She adds, “I emphasise to my children to be humble. When you are humble, you are able to get a lot of things and break the walls. The approach of being humble, patient and disciplined will make you win everywhere. Every Friday, I talk to, give advice to students about life, to build on the falls they face, and finally you will get somewhere.”
The rise of the educationist
The professional who has been in the education sector for 30 years, says painting the reality of the world to youngsters prepares them; letting them appreciate that academic excellence alone is not enough but valuing practical performance and skills.
She explains, “I always tell the students that if they did not perform well, it is not the end of life. They need to study what happened, learn from it, and build on the little they would have got. It is not about those who get 20s that make it in life, but rather those who use what they have got to survive in this world.”
Ultimately, her pride as an educationist lies in having produced teachers, mechanics, innovators doctors, engineers, nuns, priests who are grateful for the wholesome education and career guidance they received.
She joined Trinity College Nabbingo as a teacher of Geography and History in 1993. She had just graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Education from Makerere University.
While at the college, she was committed, respectful and dedicated, traits that earned her trust and respect. She was given the responsibilities beyond classroom teaching. Namulema went to pursue a Master’s in Education Management. Over time, she was promoted to head the Geography department, a careers’ mistress, in-charge school farm and students’ boarding section. Also, acting deputy head teacher. 
She served Trinity College Nabbingo for 10 years.
Turning point 
In 2003, she was promoted and transferred to St Peter’s Secondary School, Nsambya as deputy head teacher in charge of academics. 
She deputised Dr Peregrine Kibuuka for four years. When Dr Kibuuka retired, the Ministry of Education& Sports asked her to act as head teacher at the school. One of her highlights was propelling the school to academic excellence and earn its place among ‘academic giants’. She was in the acting capacity, as head teacher, for one year.
The ministry called for applications for those who wanted to be promoted to head teacher. She heeded the call, got shortlisted before getting appointed as head teacher in 2007. 
“I thought I was to be retained in Nsambya where I was acting, but in the massive transfers I was posted to Makerere College School,” she recounts. 
She served as head teacher of the college for seven years and seven months. 
In 2014, she was transferred to Our Lady of Good Counsel Gayaza as head teacher to date. Looking back at her journey thus far, Namulema is grateful for it all- the successes and challenges alike.
“What I feel I have done in the education field, for the boys and girls who have passed through the schools I have served as a class teacher and head of school is gratitude, especially for bringing out the best in the students in a holistic manner- being academically sound, know their God and turn out in the world out there and regarded as whole persons,” she explains. 
Her delight
The educationist says that her pride in children comes in after they have left. That is when she determines whether she did her job. 
She adds, “I have produced teachers, doctors, engineers, nuns and priests and they come back to you and praise you. I keep telling my teachers that our pride is in our children. When you go to the airport, your child asks to help you. When you go to the bank you are handled differently, when you go to the school, they handle you differently and that’s when you feel that you mentored somebody.”
The bumpy ride so far
Namulema observes that limited resources yet education is becoming very expensive by the year. She explains, “Finances have always been a challenge yet the demands in school are high. You find that you need to put up facilities but resources are not there. Most of our traditional schools are getting old in infrastructure compared to the new private schools.” 
“We have issues of salary disparities where science teachers are earning differently from Arts and are all on the same staff. As a manager, it becomes had to administer teachers who are on different salary scales but we are thankful to boards of governors such as ours who have come up to increase the salaries of arts teachers to be at par,” she elaborates.
The head teacher’s other challenge is handling the expectations of parents who bring students with low grades, but demand the school to create geniuses who can score eight in eight and 20 in 20. 
“I usually tell parents that we cannot have schools where students are genius but what we do we track records of previous performance for each child. For example, our best student in Senior Six last year scored 19 points but had got Aggregate 26 in at Uganda Certificate of Education,” Namulema cites, adding that  their best Senior Four  candidate scored Aggregate nine but had joined the school with aggregate seven in Primary Leaving Examinations.
“Our mission is to add value on every child,” she argues.
Schools also have the newly introduced curriculum to acclimatise to. The teachers are still learning it yet it  is already into force.
“Thankfully, the National Curriculum Development Centre trains teachers during holidays,” Namulema says.