Why principals bear role of ‘chief parents’ to learners 

Schools must be places of hope, love and crafting your dreams - Veronique Genniker.

The former Principal of Butere Girls’ High School Ruth Otieno instinctively referred to her students as “my girls.” Though we might not know or remember this as adults, practically all students look to teachers as substitute parents.

Away from the presence of their parents, they search for someone around them to stand-in as their parents—someone who cares for them, supports them or gives them hope.

They want someone who loves and affirms them. Someone who, once in a while, can tolerate their indulgences or idiosyncrasies. They want someone who will look at them as a human being—not in the context of the mass of students as a whole—but as individuals with their individualised frailties and virtues.

This is what ultimately matters to each and every student. A negligible number of students have the resilience and tenacity to make the most of the worst possible environment and learn. Most buckle or break down under any pressure and threat, regardless of its magnitude.

Majority of children are, in terms of the inhospitable environment, vulnerable. They don’t have the capacity to withstand anything that shocks or demeans their dignity.

This is the reason why educational systems, such as ours, have taken pains to stipulate learning environments that are friendly to learning. It is the reason the government has laid down policies, curricula and standards that all schools must observe. Effective teaching and learning takes place in a particular environment.

The physical environment must be safe and clean as a foundation for learning. That means classrooms and hostels, for instance, ought to be safe and clean for use. Critical as it evidently is, it is not sufficient to determine optimal learning.

School’s emotional and psychological atmosphere is equally very important in guaranteeing learning.

Children go to school with all of their human characteristics. They go armed with their individual dreams, hopes and fears about life and the future in general.

Away from parents or guardians, they unconsciously want and look for a surrogate parent for affection, love and counselling and correction whenever they go astray.

Deputy Director for Quality Assurance and Standards Lydia Muchemi argues that the students require moulding at all times. She says teachers who see themselves as role models see children in teenagers and not students in teenagers.

“What is the difference in distinction?” I asked her.

The temptation is to see a teenager as a wild animal to be tamed and not a child to be moulded, she noted.

The implication of all these is that the principal of a school is a kind of principal mother or father, and not simply an instructional head of a school. It is not by accident students in some schools refer to principals by the affectionate title mum or dad.

Bullying students

Learners look to teachers as parents—however youthful some of them might be. All have been thrust in the role of caregivers. It is, therefore, the duty of the “principal parent” to help the other “parents” discharge their surrogate role of parenting properly and responsibly.

As instructional leaders, syllabus coverage may easily consume their energies and time, and forget the role as ‘principal parent’ to the students. We may have students with the tendency to bully others. We may also—regrettably—have one or two teachers with the tendency to bully students. Such teachers may have a devastating effect on learner interest in academics. The students need protection as much from the bullying teacher as they need protection from the bullish (fellow) student.

Principals need to walk around the classrooms, dining halls and the hostels to understand the school environment’s orientation to learning.

All children have the motivation to learn. The differences in each of them lie in the degree of motivation, and ability to learn. However, all children can and should be accorded the opportunity to develop their cognitive, emotional and psychomotor powers to the fullest.

As the principal parent, head teachers have a heavy responsibility—to set the finest climate for authentic learning.

The climate depends on the kind of culture they cultivate. A culture of hope, care and respect for diversity has the potential to ensure the different abilities of the students bloom.

Secondary School years is a stage in life when teenagers are searching for their personal identities. American Psychologist Erik Erikson, argues that this is the stage when children from about 12 to 18 years, are exploring their personal values, beliefs and goals. This is a stage of total confusion and wonderment. Only a caring, supportive school environment can help them to navigate the way.

Mrs Otieno approach evinced in her leadership of a school can greatly help learners pursue academic aspirations as well as discover who they are without tension or confusion of roles.

— The writer is Communications Officer, Ministry of Education