Choosing a Good Private School for Your Child: The Ultimate Guide for Parents and Guardians in Zambia

By Monde Nyambe and Prof. Brendan P. Carmody S.J PhD

Are you a parent or guardian looking for a top-notch 21st-century private school in Zambia, one that will meet your family needs and expectations?
This profound question is at the core of this first-ever book on private school education in Zambia. Choosing a Good Private School for your Child: The Ultimate Guide for Parents and Guardians in Zambia emerged from Monde Nyambe’s vast experience working as an educator and school leader in private international school settings. The book provides insights into pertinent factors that assist parents as they make important decisions about private school choices for their children. Through research and experience, the author draws on the views of key stakeholders to create a decision-making tool on choosing a good private school, ideal not only for parents but also for teachers, school leaders and private school proprietors.
Make no mistake, this is a must-read for parents intending to give their children a solid head start by ensuring that they secure a good private school amidst the ever-rising number of private schools in Zambia.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Partridge Publishing India
• Release date: Sep 15, 2021
• ISBN: 9781543708110

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Copyright © 2021 by Monde Nyambe.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

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CONTENTS

Dedication

Acknowledgements

Foreword

Chapter 1 Introduction

Chapter 2 What makes a good school? Voices from parents

Chapter 3 Governance in private schools –What every parent needs to know

Chapter 4 Strength and stability of school leadership

Chapter 5 School policies and practices

Chapter 6 How well do you know the teachers?

Chapter 7 Understanding school culture and climate

Chapter 8 A child’s holistic development

Chapter 9 Curriculum choice

Chapter 10 Is the school socially and emotionally safe?

Chapter 11 Does the school appreciate diversity and inclusiveness?

Chapter 12 Weigh the school’s options for parental involvement

Chapter 13 School facilities in private schools – to what extent do they matter?

Chapter 14 How Good Is The School’s Performance In Internal And External Examinations?

Chapter 15 Value for your money

Chapter 16 Last word

References

Appendices

Choosing a Good Private School

DEDICATION

T his book is heartily dedicated to Patricia Anne Gilardi, former head at the Italian School of Lusaka, for believing in me unreservedly and allowing me to bloom as an educator. Her own words, ‘I could put my hand on fire to demonstrate how much I believed in you’ will always inspire me and ring in my mind forever. Patricia, you were a true leader, a great mentor and a loving mother-figure. May your soul rest in eternal peace …

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

O ver the past twenty-one years, I have had a thrilling and enriching experience working with remarkable teachers and school leaders from different private and international schools in Zambia. I am indebted to all these educators, especially colleagues at the Italian School of Lusaka, for making me the educator and school leader that I am today. Agrey Mambwe and Angeline Ndhlovu, your support during the book writing project was profound.

I am indebted to Professor Brendan Carmody, S.J, PhD, Associate Research Professor at the Institute of Education, University College, London and former professor of Education at the University of Zambia, for a well-rounded and insightful book foreword.

I am grateful to Russell Menard, Ed.D, Director at American International School of Lusaka for thoroughly reading through the manuscript to give it a robust ad fairly balanced overview.

Thank you, Mr. Saka Sokotwe, chairman of the Independent Schools Association of Zambia (ISAZ) and Principal at Chudleigh House School, and Mr. Henry Kwalombota, the Principal at St. Augustine Secondary School, Lusaka, for your feedback in the survey on quality control and classification of private schools in Zambia. Your input was an invaluable eye-opener.

I am equally thankful to Buddy Hakaunga, Academic coordinator at Banani International School, for unreservedly sharing relevant information and expertise during the different stages of writing the book.

I also wish to extend my gratitude to all the parents in the selected private schools who willingly completed the questionnaire on characteristics of a good private school. Parents, you are the reason for this book. School principals who facilitated the distribution of the questionnaires, you too did a commendable job and I can’t thank you enough.

Finally, I am thankful for the contributions of my book editors. Kafula Mwila-Mubufi CEO at Blacksmith Publishers, Zambia you did an admirable job editing and evaluating the first and second draft of the manuscript. Your candid critique helped to broaden the scope of this book. Brenda and Hugo of Busy Bee Editing, South Africa, thanks as well for thorough and final proofreading, editing, and layout before publication.

Throughout my professional life, my awesome wife, Mukelabai and my wonderful children have been a constant source of inspiration, love and fortitude. Without their unfailing support, this book would not have been possible.

FOREWORD

T his book is authored by somebody who has both long and insider experience of private schools in Zambia. This is supplemented by wide reading on the topic, as well as with empirical research at various Zambian sites. As the title itself indicates, it is intended as a guide for parents and guardians who face the option of sending a child or children to a private school.

The author outlines the different kinds of private schools which have emerged in the country after the late 1970s. I recall that before then there were few private schools available. The government closed many of those that existed because it was felt that they could create social division. In more recent days that concern seems to have evaporated so that today they have multiplied at all educational levels and for different purposes. For the prospective parent or guardian today, the option is not only for a private school but for a choice between the many on offer. The fortunate few parents and guardians who are able to afford private schools are in the happy position of being able to have such a range of options. Choosing a Good Private School for Your Child is a response to this social development.

The book is factually helpful and goes on to discuss in some detail the features that would constitute a private school that is judged to be good. At first, the author asks the somewhat basic but significant question: why would somebody want a private, as opposed to a public school? The reasons for this can vary but, if this is the type of school, he/she wants, it is important to know why as it is advisable to be well-informed. Private schools are not automatically good because they charge high fees. Some private schools are compared to profit-making businesses which compete for clients and so their advocacy may or may not be reliable. The potential parent or guardian undoubtedly has definite ideas and expectations for what he/she wants from a private school complemented by an awareness of the kind that might fit his/her interests. The challenge is to review such preconceptions and find the right place.

As it is pointed out in the book, some parents may be primarily concerned with academic success for their child and they assume that, if they invest in this kind of schooling, academic results will be impressive. In the current climate, private schools are seen to be a major factor in providing access to prime jobs, university and college entries and much more. Thus the question arises: How does this school deliver in the league tables, nationally and internationally? This dimension is acknowledged by Monde Nyambe as it is evidently highly significant and maybe almost exclusively determining for some parents and those in such situations.

However, the author does not want to get too involved in that way of thinking but, having recognized it, moves to the larger educational context where this economic motif has value; but schooling is more than that. He thus presents a profile of what kind of education a good private school might offer. In so doing, he focuses on what is acknowledged to be a pivotal ingredient of a good education, namely; the promotion of respectful human relationships. What kind of person for instance he asks - is the principal? What kind of people are the staff, especially the teachers? Can one be confident that they are people who are not only well-qualified academically but who care about the children? How can this be identified? What is the overall profile of the school? Does it present itself to be primarily an institution or does it make ample space for community building? For Monde Nyambe, this needs to be foregrounded and he recommends that the person coming to inspect a school needs to be able to see beyond appearances because they can be deceptive.

In today’s world, most parents want schools to have a firm institutional framework, but they also desire that they should be transformational, transactional, and participative rather than heavily authoritarian and disciplinary, as the author discovered in his research. In such a context, the principal needs to be somebody who is not tied to his/her desk but moves freely out of the office and is ready to learn from his/her mistakes and lead humbly by example, especially in situations of crisis. Teachers are similarly expected to be kind and considerate, but they also need to be professional. For all, principal and staff, there is a task to be performed. It is serious work, but it needs to be carried out with grace, concern for the person, and responsibility so that every child feels included. The school child should be respected and perhaps loved as his/her wellbeing is foremost in the minds of those who teach and administer the school.

Clearly, as an experienced teacher and administrator in private schooling, the author alerts the parent or guardian to take little for granted. There are ways of following through on first impressions and checking to see if, for example, the school has a good library, recreational facilities, study space, classrooms, computers and up to date technology. Is what is being presented more than window-dressing?

It can be true that people looking at a private school will be conscious of the need to get value for money. This makes sense but the author rightly cautions that calculating value needs to be done intelligently. Education and a good school that provides it almost surely need to be evaluated in more than quantitative, directly observable, ways. The wellbeing or happiness of the student ordinarily depends on less visible suggestions such as: that children should be addressed personally and sensitively, especially when they may not get good grades or are not sparkling on the playing field.

Choosing A Good Private School for Your Child is truly a well-developed guide to those who are about to make such significant decisions. It identifies the merits of private schooling and explores the concerns of parents in this situation. It is careful to point out that what meets the eye may need further investigation insofar as it may conceal serious downsides. The author knows such sunshine and shadows from his long-time service as a private school teacher and administrator. This will surely be a helpful resource for those who want to make a good choice in what can be a pivotal moment in the life of a child.

Brendan P. Carmody, S.J, PhD,

Associate Research Professor,

Institute of Education,

University College, London.

27 November 2020.

Formerly Professor of Education, University of Zambia.

Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

"Behind every young child who believes in himself

is a parent who believed first" - Matthew Jacobson.

P rivate schools in Zambia came into prominence in the late 1970s, following the replacement of the Education Act of 1966, which restricted the involvement of private schools in the delivery of education. According to Kelly (1999:203), there was an increase in the number of private schools after the 1977 educational reforms, which encouraged private provision as a means of supplementing state provision. Ever since, Zambia has witnessed a continuous rise in the number of private schools of different shades and colours. The unprecedented rise in the number of private schools raises concerns about the quality of education being provided by those schools. It is with this background that this book was conceived to be a guide to parents as they navigate through the growing maze of private schools in Zambia.

There are many different types of schools presently found in Zambia. The Education Act of 2011 classifies the various schools found in Zambia into four groups namely, public, community, grant-aided and private schools (Education Act, 2011). Despite the wide range of school options available, most parents with the means prefer to take their children to private schools because comparatively, the quality of private school education surpasses the others. But do private schools make a difference, compared to other types of schools? Given the fact that there are so many private schools in Zambia, how can one be so sure that a particular private school is the most appropriate one for their child? These are no doubt important questions which ring in the minds of parents and guardians intending to enrol their children in private schools. If your child has attended a private school in the past or is currently doing so, you might have at one point been faced with the dilemma of ensuring that the private school you chose was the appropriate one for your child.

What is a private school?

The term ‘private school’ is challenging to define because of the different forms of private schools, or independent schools, as they are also known, the players involved and their underlying motivations. As observed by Rose (2007) a leading researcher in private school education, private schooling can take many forms and can be run by many actors such as NGOs, faith-based organisations, communities and commercially oriented entrepreneurs, each with different motives for their involvement in education. The complexity of private schools can further be perceived from the broad-based structure of education offered which ranges from preschool to senior high school, and the autonomy whereby they seem to operate. Although they exist as independent institutions, they are nonetheless regulated by the government. Despite the difficulty involved in defining a private school, the commonly held definition of a private school is one given by the Collins Online Dictionary which defines it simply as ‘a school which is not supported financially by the government and which parents have to pay for’ (Collins Dictionary, 2020). In the Zambian context, a private school is defined as a school which is neither a public nor a grant-aided educational institution, but one that is duly registered under the education act to operate as a private educational establishment (Education Act, 2011).

Brendan Carmody, a prominent scholar on education in Zambia, further adds that private schools are autonomous institutions which are, nonetheless, subject to government regulations (Carmody, 2007). As autonomous institutions, private schools can make their own decisions about admissions, curricula, school calendars, policies, programmes and which teachers to recruit. In most cases, these policies reflect the schools’ values, ethos, vision and mission statements. The goal of private schools is to provide quality education equal to or better than that available in public schools. Additionally, private schools are founded to serve the interests of proprietors and in most cases, target a particular following. They are different from public or government schools which are established and controlled by the Ministry of General Education, using public funds.

Types of Private Schools in Zambia

Private schools in Zambia can be found in every province in Zambia, but the majority are concentrated in Lusaka, the Copperbelt and the Northwestern provinces. To underscore the diverse nature of these schools, the Zambian national policy on education (Educating Our Future, 1996) recognises the following five profit and non-profit categories of private schools:

i. Private schools established by individual entrepreneurs

These are the most widespread private schools found in all the provinces of Zambia. In general, the number of entrepreneurs venturing into private schools as a form of business keeps on soaring, bringing