Whither non-Catholic schools in high-performance arena?

When I took my national exams decades ago, the atmosphere was markedly laid-back. We had several months of respite before embarking on interviews for private schools.

I only did one interview at St Anthony in Mbagala, Dar es Salaam. While I think I got every math question right, the wise St Anthony guys didn’t think I was good enough for them.

It didn’t matter much since the true measure of success then was passing the national exams – which I did.

How times have changed!

Nowadays, securing a place in top private schools is what matters most. And it is a cut-throat game. We have done probably ten interviews.

It started as early as June – there have been trips to Centennial, Tagaste, Precious Blood, Bright Future, and many others, with each interview costing Sh30,000 or more.

This is a booming business, with schools skimming billions from anxious parents.

Thankfully, we were among the lucky ones, as my daughter secured admission to every school where she sat for exams.

I will say thanks to the school that she attended – Royal Elite Schools. Two years ago, when I moved her to another school, she was a top student in her class.

Upon her return in January this year, she didn’t even make the top 20. While a less competitive school made her feel unchallenged, an elite school gave her classmates an edge over her.

This is the most powerful demonstration of what an elite school does to students.

Earlier this year, I expounded on the need for elite schools in Tanzania, emphasising that a nation cannot thrive on mediocrity. I argued that we must nurture a group of globally competitive graduates who can propel the nation forward.

While there are a handful of top schools striving to cultivate such talent, their number is low, thus leaving many capable youngsters behind.

Demand is so high that if you secure a spot in these schools, tuition payments need to be made immediately. The time for decision-making is astonishingly short.

For instance, upon receiving an acceptance message from Precious Blood, we were required to pay within two days. Two days! These schools collect sizable sums that they can hold onto for months. Not bad business.

In navigating this landscape, I couldn’t help but notice the prevalence of Catholic schools among the top schools. As an evangelical Christian, that led me to ponder the implications of enrolling a child in a Catholic school.

After talking to several ex-seminarians, I gathered that that essentially means that if you are a non-Catholic, your religious identity becomes secondary the moment you join those institutions.

I have a Muslim neighbour who enrolled his daughters in Catholic schools, a decision I initially viewed as remarkably pragmatic. One of his daughters aced all her exams a few years ago. Catholic schools don’t disappoint.

However, when I weighed this option, I felt that it entailed significant sacrifices. While Catholic schools often held an advantage when considering school fees, performance, proximity to home, and overall experience, they were not evangelical.

This introspection prompted me to ask a fundamental question: Where are the other top evangelical, Pentecostal, non-denominational or Muslim schools that would allow students to be true to their religious values?

And where are the public schools that can match the overall educational experience provided by the leading Catholic schools?

Something is missing in this landscape: even when one has a competitive child, the options are limited.

The current system demands significant sacrifices in terms of comfort, finances, family values, and more. Although alternatives may appear abundant, true options are scarce.

I think many Christian and Muslim institutions need to be ashamed of themselves for not pulling their own weight in this regard, leaving the onus almost entirely on Catholics. Why are they conspicuously absent from the high-performance education arena?

Furthermore, the question arises: Where are the top public schools? We may be tempted to mention schools like Tabora, Mzumbe, Kibaha, or Ilboru, but, if my experience at Ilboru is anything to go with, I wouldn’t consider sending my children there, even if I were paid to do so.

When students push each other because rice or beef is on the menu, those youngsters have already been left behind.

There is a better way forward. What if the government established “elite” schools in every district? I mean – Division 1 only and 7 points for many students.

These schools could charge a fee of a million or two, making them financially accessible to many. These schools would be conveniently located near students’ homes, making day-schooling a viable option.

More importantly, youngsters will have the right to be true to their faiths: students shouldn’t sacrifice their values just to get a quality education.

Is this too much to ask?