Experts warn educationists to build schools that thrive beyond founders

What the report says

Education stakeholders in eastern Uganda were urged to design schools that can remain viable even after their founders or head teachers leave. The remarks came during the Stanbic Business Forum at Mount Elgon Hotel in Mbale on October 6, where participants discussed how to build schools for long-term sustainability.

Sam Kuloba, the retired commissioner for Secondary Schools in the Education ministry, said the real measure of a school’s success is whether it can continue operating beyond the people who created it. He told attendees that opening a school is costly, but financial pressures often increase after launch. He advised proprietors to strengthen budgeting, accounting, reporting and spending controls, while also planning for leadership succession and avoiding overextension on unfinished projects.

Kuloba also encouraged school owners to diversify lawful income sources, prepare multi-year strategic plans and consider partnerships with financial institutions to support development. Tunde Thorpe, Stanbic Bank’s executive head of Business and Commercial Banking, said schools contribute to broader economic development and should be supported as part of Uganda’s growth ambitions. Hassan Nkuutu, senior Education Inspector for Mbale, called for ongoing professional training for inspectors and stronger focus on early childhood and foundational learning.

The discussion reflects a wider concern in education management: schools need systems, not just individual vision, to withstand leadership changes and financial uncertainty.