Mr. MUGEJJERA RICHARD YIGA, Headteacher-MST Junior School
Welcome to an exclusive interview with Mr.MUGEJJERA RIRCHARD YIGA, the esteemed Headteacher of MST Junior School. Join us as we delve into his remarkable journey in education, his vision for MST Junior School, and the innovative strategies he employs to inspire both learners and staff.
Q: Could you describe your educational background and the journey that led you to the headteacher position at MST Junior School?
A: MUGEJJERA RICHARD YIGA is my name. Kabukunge Primary Teachers College is where I obtained a Grade III Teacher’s Certificate that introduced me to the profession. I then pursued a Diploma in Primary Education at Kyambogo University, a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Development & Counselling at Uganda Martyrs’ University, Nkozi and a Master’s Degree in Development Monitoring and Evaluation Uganda Christian University (UCU).
I worked at Bright Grammar Boarding P.S in Masaka for 10 years and it was there that I got my initial shaping into the profession. Later at Masaka Parents P.S for 4 years serving as Director of Studies & Deputy Head teacher. I supported a number of schools through Management Systems and in the field of Social Studies for part-time arrangements for close to 10 years and for 2 years, I engaged in Research as an M & E Officer and Project Officer & Supervisor at Rakai Health Sciences Program (RHSP) in the DREAMS Project. And in 2019, I joined MST Junior School to serve as Headteacher till 2022 when I took leave to pursue a Master’s Degree.
I am privileged to be back and serve as Headteacher of MST Junior School.
Q: What is your vision for the school, and how do you plan to implement it successfully?
A: My primary role will be to lead the team towards realizing the School’s Vision which is “A Resilient and Productive Child,” with a Mission of, “Stimulating and Developing each child’s potential through practical learning.” These we hope to realize by raising and improving the ability of our staff to deliver to our expectations through training them and supporting them to further their studies; an initiative that would make them more effective and efficient.
Ensuring that the school gets all the necessary materials to support our practical model of learning will be key to our successful implementation.
Q: How do you plan to inspire and motivate both students and staff to strive for academic excellence?
A: Awarding both students and staff that have exceedingly performed will be one of the strategies we strengthen based on agreed targets. Timely facilitation of practical learning will be the other and by supporting our staff and students in teaching and learning through supervision, academic excellence will be realized.
Q: What measures will you take to establish a welcoming and inclusive culture within the school?
A: In the coming years, we are giving reasonable time to co-curricular activities which we intend to do in competitive ways both within and outside school. We plan to reach out to a wider audience but also have many of our learners find a sport to engage in just like the skilling is done.
Q: How will you nurture the personal growth and academic progress of the students at MST Junior School?
A: Staff Parenting is the arrangement through which our students’ personal growth is strengthened so that their academic progress is not affected. Our dormitory mothers, senior teachers, the nurse and class teachers are tasked to create time for our learners’ personal lives & needs towards their physical, psychological/behavioral and spiritual demands.
Q: Are there any new initiatives or programs you’d like to introduce to enhance the learning experiences of students?
A: Value Addition through producing items for sale by learners to increase the amount of money banked termly will be strengthened. We intend to produce more food items through our Home Economics Classes. During our Skilling Hour; we will produce chalk, briquettes, fertilizers, pesticides and farm products will be got through our Agriculture Classes.
Q: What methods will you use to strengthen the involvement of parents and the local community in school activities?
A: We have supported the establishment of a Youths Group; “The Ignited Youths,” in the community through which we intend to skill the youths in the community that will then support their families.
Our parents this year and in the coming years will receive periodical trainings from the School Farm.
Q: In your view, how can parents and the community actively contribute to supporting the school’s objectives?
A: Starting agro-projects at home to increase learning from school to home. Engaging their children in practical based learning including working with them but also supporting their creations/innovations is what we require from them.
We offer market to our parents as priority and the community. If the community/parents engage in related projects, they can supply to top our needs termly.
Q: What approaches will you take to encourage teachers’ professional development and ensure their growth continues?
A: The school will support 4 staff to further their studies every 2-3 years as part of the teachers’ professional development. This arrangement, which started a year ago with one member of staff, is going to be encouraged.
Q: How do you envision using technology to enrich the teaching and learning processes at MST Junior School?
A: Our school is in a way a research body that engages students to discover which they do using the laboratories. These expose them to the practical world of the theories in books and to lives beyond them related to the knowledge they get at school.
Q: What steps will you take to foster creativity and innovation among both teachers and students?
A: We embrace every new idea from either student or teacher with full energy to see the results. We believe that what other people have done, we can and much better through time management, team work and innovation.
We therefore encourage our staff to share their ideas, to read, to search for knowledge so as to create a new environment around us. Our students are supported to freely express their ideas as a way of supporting innovation.
Q: How will you create an environment that prioritizes the well-being and positivity of all learners?
A: Safety of our learners, equitably engaging each and every one, supporting every learner in his/her identified talent or area of expertise and liking, ensuring outdoor learning and ensuring that every learner has an area they feature in will increase positivity.
Q: Do you see opportunities to partner with other schools or organizations to benefit MST Junior School?
A: We are proud to be in partnerships with over 15 organizations including; schools, colleges, universities, companies & NGOs from the local and international community. We have grown bigger through partnerships and look forward to building more and more.
Q: In what ways do you think collaboration with the broader community could be advantageous for the school?
A: Collaboration will enable us to bench mark, receive grants and donations towards our model curriculum, support our students beyond the junior school, share assessments, build our model of learning further, upgrade our learning but support research in the Education, ICT and Agriculture fields.
Q: What potential challenges do you foresee for the school, and how do you plan to navigate them effectively?
A: The limited space within which we carry out this model of learning is a challenge to the potential customers who will most likely be disappointed. A high cost of running this model of learning is another challenge despite the quality of the service we offer.
By teaching our learners to be engaged in the production process, we believe they will support their parents in raising funds. We plan to produce more of what we need at school to work within our budget.
Through our partners, we hope to receive more equipment towards our farm and laboratories and as such minimize costs towards these.
Q: Conclusion
A: MST Junior School in its 10th year is focusing on developing its Learning Framework that will guide the teaching and learning processes through which its model will be realized. We equally plan to build partnerships to support our research to be able to inform the world on many of the things we have explored both at school and on our farm.
Learning has been and will always be fun and full of discovery at MST Junior School. We are the Little Seeds, with Big Dreams.
