The Uganda O-level results came out on Friday and the performance of the Humanist schools was remarkable.
Although individual grades are given by subject. O-level is a group certificate in Uganda so the important grade is the aggregate over 7 subjects including Sciences, Maths and English. Getting a Division 1 or 2 are important for progression, yet fewer than 6% of students nationally gain a Division 1 aggregate.
The results at the schools were far better than the national average and the schools were among the best performing schools in their Districts.
MUSTARD SEED SCHOOL
7 students gained a Division 1 – over 12% of the students entered.
The school was 5th out of the 40 schools in the Kamuli District and 462 in the list of top 1800 schools in the New Vision national newspaper. Mustard Seed School did have a weak tail end of students and two failures – but these were two girls who joined the school in senior 4 having had a poor education in another school.
Collaborative learning is encouraged
ISAAC NEWTON HIGH SCHOOL
The school did even better gaining 10 Division 1 (14% of the students entered).
Because Peter allowed another school with weak students to use his exam centre it depressed the schools place in the overall rankings. In the official rankings it came 559 out of the top 1800 schools and 10th out of 30 schools in the Kalunga District, but excluding the weaker students from the other school it would have been about 300th position nationally and 5th in the District. The Isaac Newton School gained better grades across the whole student entry with very few weak students. One girl missed the exams due to pregnancy and she will be rejoining the school this year to complete her studies – with Peter’s mother and sister looking after the baby for her.
Both Moses and Peter put the success down to having lots of books, which allow the students to study outside class and research additional information to supplement lessons. They have both also started using scholarships to attract students with a grade 1 in their primary leaving certificate – but they pick the most needy from among these.
UHST has been following a “Book flood” policy since we started. There is evidence from around the world that books make a huge difference to performance in rural schools in impoverished areas. The RACHEL repository of encyclopaedic and non-fiction materials on the school computer networks are also making a contribution.
Reporters from local newspapers and radio descended on the schools to find out why they had done so well. Three local radio stations interviewed Moses at Mustard Seed School. Very diplomatically he praised the parents of the area on producing such bright and hard-working students. He also praised his teachers for working hard on behalf of the students. He picked out the good facilities, which the school has to offer and, particularly, the large stock of textbooks and computers meant that students had access to up-to-date information to help with their studies.
It’s the books, stupid!
Peter, at Isaac Newton, was interviewed for a national radio station. He had no hesitation in saying that having a large quantity of books and science materials had made the difference. The school was too small to provide full-time posts for specialist teachers and the pay they can offer is low. Therefore, in common with other rural start-up schools, he had been forced to rely heavily upon part-time and casual teachers. While necessary, such teachers only stay on site when they are giving lessons, so they are not available to help students outside lessons. The books make a huge difference in this setting. Ready access to books has created a learning culture, where students take responsibility for their own learning and study together in their free time, in the evenings and at weekends. Peter was asked about the Humanist Ethos of the school and the meaning of the school motto “To Reason not to Believe”. He explained that the school emphasises science and applying its principles to daily life – this involves encouraging students to question prior beliefs and subject what they are told to reason and evidence. This he felt was the way for students to succeed in a modern society.
Uganda Humanist Schools’ Examination Record
Posted: February 9, 2016 by Steve Hurd
The Uganda O-level results came out on Friday and the performance of the Humanist schools was remarkable.
Although individual grades are given by subject. O-level is a group certificate in Uganda so the important grade is the aggregate over 7 subjects including Sciences, Maths and English. Getting a Division 1 or 2 are important for progression, yet fewer than 6% of students nationally gain a Division 1 aggregate.
The results at the schools were far better than the national average and the schools were among the best performing schools in their Districts.
MUSTARD SEED SCHOOL
7 students gained a Division 1 – over 12% of the students entered.
The school was 5th out of the 40 schools in the Kamuli District and 462 in the list of top 1800 schools in the New Vision national newspaper. Mustard Seed School did have a weak tail end of students and two failures – but these were two girls who joined the school in senior 4 having had a poor education in another school.
ISAAC NEWTON HIGH SCHOOL
The school did even better gaining 10 Division 1 (14% of the students entered).
Because Peter allowed another school with weak students to use his exam centre it depressed the schools place in the overall rankings. In the official rankings it came 559 out of the top 1800 schools and 10th out of 30 schools in the Kalunga District, but excluding the weaker students from the other school it would have been about 300th position nationally and 5th in the District. The Isaac Newton School gained better grades across the whole student entry with very few weak students. One girl missed the exams due to pregnancy and she will be rejoining the school this year to complete her studies – with Peter’s mother and sister looking after the baby for her.
Both Moses and Peter put the success down to having lots of books, which allow the students to study outside class and research additional information to supplement lessons. They have both also started using scholarships to attract students with a grade 1 in their primary leaving certificate – but they pick the most needy from among these.
UHST has been following a “Book flood” policy since we started. There is evidence from around the world that books make a huge difference to performance in rural schools in impoverished areas. The RACHEL repository of encyclopaedic and non-fiction materials on the school computer networks are also making a contribution.
Reporters from local newspapers and radio descended on the schools to find out why they had done so well. Three local radio stations interviewed Moses at Mustard Seed School. Very diplomatically he praised the parents of the area on producing such bright and hard-working students. He also praised his teachers for working hard on behalf of the students. He picked out the good facilities, which the school has to offer and, particularly, the large stock of textbooks and computers meant that students had access to up-to-date information to help with their studies.
Peter, at Isaac Newton, was interviewed for a national radio station. He had no hesitation in saying that having a large quantity of books and science materials had made the difference. The school was too small to provide full-time posts for specialist teachers and the pay they can offer is low. Therefore, in common with other rural start-up schools, he had been forced to rely heavily upon part-time and casual teachers. While necessary, such teachers only stay on site when they are giving lessons, so they are not available to help students outside lessons. The books make a huge difference in this setting. Ready access to books has created a learning culture, where students take responsibility for their own learning and study together in their free time, in the evenings and at weekends. Peter was asked about the Humanist Ethos of the school and the meaning of the school motto “To Reason not to Believe”. He explained that the school emphasises science and applying its principles to daily life – this involves encouraging students to question prior beliefs and subject what they are told to reason and evidence. This he felt was the way for students to succeed in a modern society.
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