Below are different school perspectives on how they apply Humanist values in their day-to-day activities.
Isaac Newton Humanist Primary & High Schools, Peter Kisirinya
Religious tolerance
Students in our school come from the local community where each person is defined by their tribe and their religion. New students have heavily absorbed these twin identities. However, once they become school members they become aware of an alternative perspective. They see that Humanist schools welcome children from all tribes and religions. We are inclusive and do not engage in indoctrination We expose children to the Humanist values of reason, compassion and tolerance. Students take the opportunity to join the school’s humanist club, where they become even more acquainted with our Humanist ethos. We find that students take willingly to humanist ideas, and many confess to have lived a humanist life unknowingly.
For boarding students, the school is both the place where they learn and the term-time home where they live. Our school respects the treasured religious beliefs that they bring with them. We allow them, within the school programme, to hold religious meetings and prayers in a designated place, but not to recruit others into their beliefs. Our overt tolerance is one reason why Humanist schools are gaining popularity among families from different faith persuasions.
Katumba Parents’ Humanist Primary School, Juma Siriwayo
Embedding Humanist values
Each year we deliberately reinforce the Humanist Ethos of Katumba Parents’ Humanist School through several activities. These include staff meetings, orientation sessions for new teachers and internal discussions led by school leadership. During these sessions, we remind staff that our responsibility is to promote Humanist values such as respect for human dignity, equality, critical thinking, compassion, cooperation, and shared humanity. The headteacher and senior staff play a key role in modelling these values in leadership, teaching, and daily school life.
Katumba Parents’ Humanist School is inclusive and welcomes children from all religious and non-religious backgrounds. All learners are treated equally as human beings, regardless of their beliefs. Our focus is on shared human values, mutual respect, and learning together in a neutral, safe, and inclusive environment.
Kasese Humanist Schools, Robert Bwambale
Focus on Humanist values
At Kasese Humanist Schools, while most of our students and teachers come from homes and backgrounds deeply rooted in religion and traditions, we embrace humanist values and ethos through regular daily practice, education, and community life. When we appoint new teachers, we welcome them to our school and expose them to our values and procedures.
Reason and critical thinking: Learners are encouraged to ask questions, think for themselves, and use science and evidence to understand the world.
Human dignity and equality: Every child is respected regardless of background, belief, gender, or ability. Discrimination is not tolerated.
Compassion and empathy: Students are guided to care for one another, support vulnerable peers, and act with kindness in school and the wider community.
Ethical responsibility: Moral education focuses on honesty, responsibility, cooperation, and accountability without reliance on religious instruction.
Child-centred learning: Teaching methods value curiosity, creativity, and the well-being of each learner.
Community service and sustainability: Activities such as tree planting, environmental care, and social outreach promote responsibility to society and nature.
Freedom of belief: The school provides a safe, inclusive space where learners can form their own views without pressure or indoctrination.
Through these approaches, Kasese Humanist School nurtures informed, ethical, and compassionate young citizens.
Our schools accept learners from different religious backgrounds. This inclusivity makes Humanist schools distinctive. We are pluralistic and tolerant. The mixing of children with different beliefs makes humanist schools refreshingly distinct from schools based on a single religion.
We work hard to foster a humanist ethos in our school.
Each term we bring the entire school together to learn about Humanism.
New recruits are inducted in school values and how to uphold them.
We organize open debates where children exchange ideas, express their opinions and learn to be tolerant by listening respectfully to the views of others.
Students are encouraged to be kind to one another and to be empathetic towards more vulnerable students.
We foster a love of nature and the environment.
Our teachers are encouraged to be living examples of Humanism. By putting the humanist ethos into action, children come to emulate the behaviour of their teachers.
School interpretations of the Humanist ethos
Posted: January 21, 2026 by Steve Hurd
Below are different school perspectives on how they apply Humanist values in their day-to-day activities.
Isaac Newton Humanist Primary & High Schools, Peter Kisirinya
Religious tolerance
Students in our school come from the local community where each person is defined by their tribe and their religion. New students have heavily absorbed these twin identities. However, once they become school members they become aware of an alternative perspective. They see that Humanist schools welcome children from all tribes and religions. We are inclusive and do not engage in indoctrination We expose children to the Humanist values of reason, compassion and tolerance. Students take the opportunity to join the school’s humanist club, where they become even more acquainted with our Humanist ethos. We find that students take willingly to humanist ideas, and many confess to have lived a humanist life unknowingly.
For boarding students, the school is both the place where they learn and the term-time home where they live. Our school respects the treasured religious beliefs that they bring with them. We allow them, within the school programme, to hold religious meetings and prayers in a designated place, but not to recruit others into their beliefs. Our overt tolerance is one reason why Humanist schools are gaining popularity among families from different faith persuasions.
Katumba Parents’ Humanist Primary School, Juma Siriwayo
Embedding Humanist values
Each year we deliberately reinforce the Humanist Ethos of Katumba Parents’ Humanist School through several activities. These include staff meetings, orientation sessions for new teachers and internal discussions led by school leadership. During these sessions, we remind staff that our responsibility is to promote Humanist values such as respect for human dignity, equality, critical thinking, compassion, cooperation, and shared humanity. The headteacher and senior staff play a key role in modelling these values in leadership, teaching, and daily school life.
Katumba Parents’ Humanist School is inclusive and welcomes children from all religious and non-religious backgrounds. All learners are treated equally as human beings, regardless of their beliefs. Our focus is on shared human values, mutual respect, and learning together in a neutral, safe, and inclusive environment.
Kasese Humanist Schools, Robert Bwambale
Focus on Humanist values
At Kasese Humanist Schools, while most of our students and teachers come from homes and backgrounds deeply rooted in religion and traditions, we embrace humanist values and ethos through regular daily practice, education, and community life. When we appoint new teachers, we welcome them to our school and expose them to our values and procedures.
Reason and critical thinking: Learners are encouraged to ask questions, think for themselves, and use science and evidence to understand the world.
Human dignity and equality: Every child is respected regardless of background, belief, gender, or ability. Discrimination is not tolerated.
Compassion and empathy: Students are guided to care for one another, support vulnerable peers, and act with kindness in school and the wider community.
Ethical responsibility: Moral education focuses on honesty, responsibility, cooperation, and accountability without reliance on religious instruction.
Child-centred learning: Teaching methods value curiosity, creativity, and the well-being of each learner.
Community service and sustainability: Activities such as tree planting, environmental care, and social outreach promote responsibility to society and nature.
Freedom of belief: The school provides a safe, inclusive space where learners can form their own views without pressure or indoctrination.
Through these approaches, Kasese Humanist School nurtures informed, ethical, and compassionate young citizens.
Eagle’s View Humanist Primary School, Buwenge, Rogers Muwanguzi
Humanism in action
Our schools accept learners from different religious backgrounds. This inclusivity makes Humanist schools distinctive. We are pluralistic and tolerant. The mixing of children with different beliefs makes humanist schools refreshingly distinct from schools based on a single religion.
Our teachers are encouraged to be living examples of Humanism. By putting the humanist ethos into action, children come to emulate the behaviour of their teachers.
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