Entarataambe Primary School – Origins
Entarataambe Primary School opened on February 2024, after much discussion and careful consideration of the type of school, pedagogy and campus design that would best prepare students to take their place in a changing modern world.
The school is founded on the values of Obuntu, the African philosophy of humanity, and aims to combine this with the best of contemporary, progressive approaches to education to create a new model. How did this come about?
For many years, educationists and others concerned with education in Uganda have felt that the system inherited from the colonial era, which has largely been perpetuated to the present, does not meet the needs of today’s young Ugandans and a new approach is required.
Some pioneering schools have introduced new forms of teaching and learning over recent years, and informal conversations between these practitioners have been on-going for over a decade.
These conversations coalesced into the idea of holding a workshop to explore ideas and experiences and see if a shared vision for a new approach to education could be delineated.
The first Obuntu education workshop was held at the Ndere Centre 2017 and was attended by representatives of Ndere Cultural Centre, Mivule Schools, Uganda Buddhist Primary School, Peace High School, parents with SEN children and parents following Montessori education for their children.
A strong consensus was reached concerning the problems embedded in the current education situation and its failure to equip children to be able to respond positively to the growing challenges of contemporary life. This analysis led to discussions about the core values and aims of a new vision for education able to prepare children to become confident, creative and entrepreneurial young adults equipped to make a positive contribution to society. The Obuntu philosophy of humanity and cooperation was seen as a natural, positive, African foundation for the new education.
Subsequent workshops were held at Ndere and Entarataammbe School at which these ideas and proposals were developed further.
Dr Stephen Rwangyezi, a former teacher himself, with a long and passionate interest in education, believes that it is the most effective way to improve the life chances of individuals and to benefit the whole of society. He has been educating children through the Ndere organisation for nearly 40 years, many of whom have graduated and become successful professionals, and has also supported the local school near his rural home at Kyabanyoro. Some years ago the idea of creating a new purpose built school was born and slowly this became a physical reality in what is now Entarataambe Primary School.
Our vision is that Entarataambe is where the practical implications and realities of Obuntu education are explored and developed. Transforming a system that has become deeply embedded will be difficult and require the dedication and commitment of our team. This is what we have established, and so we are positive about the future at Entarataabbe.