Building a Humanist School in a religious community
Moses Kamya explains how he was inspired to start Mustard Seed Humanist School at the 2004 East African Humanist Conference organised by IHEU. He explains how the deeply religious community of Busota came to accept the Humanist Vision of the school. Mustard Seed Humanist School has become the school of choice for many in the local community as a result of its high standards of education and welfare and the fact that it does not discriminate on grounds of religion or tribe.
Promoting a Humanist Ethos
Moses Kamya describes how the Humanist Ethos has been developed through teachers’ workshops funded by UHST, treating all students as equals without discrimination, encouraging tolerance, respect for science. The Humanist counsellor plays a central role in developing harmonious relations within the school and through outreach programmes in the community.
Co-curricular activities
Moses Kamya, Headteacher at Mustard Seed Humanist School, explains the importance of clubs and other co-curricular activities in the school. Sports are important and both boys and girls play football and compete in local leagues. The school has a very successful boys and girls’ scout group, which conducts charity work in the local community, has won regional and national competitions and represented Uganda in a scout jamboree in Kigali, Rwanda. Moses, as chief scout of the District, has succeeded in promoting secular values within the organisation.
Impact of Covid 19
Moses Kamya explains how the Covid pandemic hit incomes in the local community and the school lost its fee income during the school closure. Grants from UHST made it possible to pay 50% of normal salaries to staff and this has largely kept the team together. Students on UHST scholarships have returned to school, but some other students have been unable to find the fees to return or have found employment.
Phiona Wabibye: a student view of the school
Phiona was a Senior 5 student when she recorded this video. It describes how the facilities of the school and number of students have grown since she first entered the school in Senior 1. She left the school in 2020 with a B, C and D in arts subjects plus Computer Studies and General Paper and is seeking a place for further study.
Joan Mukisa: winning a scholarship to attend Mustard Seed
Joan describes here how she gained a UHST scholarship to study at Mustard Seed School and what it meant to her.
Joan Mukisa at Makerere University Law School
Joan Mukisa completed her A-levels at Mustard Seed School in 2017. She spent a year trying to get into Makerere University Law School, and eventually went took the private entrance route of interviews and entrance exam. 2,000 applies this route and Joan was in the top 300 who were accepted. Unfortunately her first two years of study have been disrupted by Covid, which she describes here.
Mustard Seed Secondary School Videos
Building a Humanist School in a religious community
Moses Kamya explains how he was inspired to start Mustard Seed Humanist School at the 2004 East African Humanist Conference organised by IHEU. He explains how the deeply religious community of Busota came to accept the Humanist Vision of the school. Mustard Seed Humanist School has become the school of choice for many in the local community as a result of its high standards of education and welfare and the fact that it does not discriminate on grounds of religion or tribe.
Promoting a Humanist Ethos
Moses Kamya describes how the Humanist Ethos has been developed through teachers’ workshops funded by UHST, treating all students as equals without discrimination, encouraging tolerance, respect for science. The Humanist counsellor plays a central role in developing harmonious relations within the school and through outreach programmes in the community.
Co-curricular activities
Moses Kamya, Headteacher at Mustard Seed Humanist School, explains the importance of clubs and other co-curricular activities in the school. Sports are important and both boys and girls play football and compete in local leagues. The school has a very successful boys and girls’ scout group, which conducts charity work in the local community, has won regional and national competitions and represented Uganda in a scout jamboree in Kigali, Rwanda. Moses, as chief scout of the District, has succeeded in promoting secular values within the organisation.
Impact of Covid 19
Moses Kamya explains how the Covid pandemic hit incomes in the local community and the school lost its fee income during the school closure. Grants from UHST made it possible to pay 50% of normal salaries to staff and this has largely kept the team together. Students on UHST scholarships have returned to school, but some other students have been unable to find the fees to return or have found employment.
Phiona Wabibye: a student view of the school
Phiona was a Senior 5 student when she recorded this video. It describes how the facilities of the school and number of students have grown since she first entered the school in Senior 1. She left the school in 2020 with a B, C and D in arts subjects plus Computer Studies and General Paper and is seeking a place for further study.
Joan Mukisa: winning a scholarship to attend Mustard Seed
Joan describes here how she gained a UHST scholarship to study at Mustard Seed School and what it meant to her.
Joan Mukisa at Makerere University Law School
Joan Mukisa completed her A-levels at Mustard Seed School in 2017. She spent a year trying to get into Makerere University Law School, and eventually went took the private entrance route of interviews and entrance exam. 2,000 applies this route and Joan was in the top 300 who were accepted. Unfortunately her first two years of study have been disrupted by Covid, which she describes here.