Beyond grades: What matters during O-Level school selection

Dar es Salaam. As primary school pupils sit for their national examinations this month, parents are already searching for schools for their children as they prepare to join secondary education.

But beyond academic results, what should parents consider when choosing an O-Level school?

Interviews with parents and education stakeholders show that while examination performance, school reputation and the number of students securing Division I often influence decisions, other factors can be equally important.

For Mbezi resident Julius Matilinya, academic performance is his main consideration, regardless of the distance from home.

“These are the last batch of children I am sending to secondary school. I have always considered schools with good grades, and how far the school is has never been a problem. I am glad it has always turned out for the best,” he says.

However, Country Director at the Regional Psychosocial Support Initiative (REPSSI) Ms Edwick Mapalala says academic performance should be considered alongside a child’s moral and personal development.

“Raising children needs to teach them about God and the importance of being good human beings with the fear of God,” she says.

She says secondary school is an important stage in a child’s development, as pupils become more independent and interact with peers from different backgrounds and upbringings.

Secondary school teacher Jane Kajubi says parents should also assess whether their child can cope with the academic and social demands of the school.

“It is important for parents to understand whether their child will be able to compete in the school they are taking them to. Some schools are very competitive, and not every child has the ability to compete,” she says.

Ms Kajubi advises parents to discuss the decision with their children before selecting a school.

“They should hear them out, understand what they want and gauge how practical it is, rather than just putting their child in a school where he or she may struggle to compete with other children,” she says.

For father of four Fredy Lupembe, affordability and proximity to home are equally important.

He says his experience with his first-born, who attended a school in another region, made him reconsider the importance of distance.

“My son started to misbehave at school, and we were forced to visit him frequently to solve problems at school. We ended up spending a lot of money and wasting time,” he says.

Since then, Mr Lupembe says he has avoided schools that are far from home. For Mariam Juma, affordability and government placement are major considerations. She recalls that when her finances were stronger, she would take her children to several schools and pay interview fees, only to be told that places were limited.

She criticises private schools for selling joining instruction forms to more applicants than they can admit. “For me, that is another way of misusing parents’ money,” she says.

A teacher at West Gate Girls Secondary School, who asked not to be named, offers a different perspective, saying some schools sell forms to more applicants than the number of available places to ensure they attract enough qualified students.

The views highlight the fact that choosing an O-Level school is not simply about examination results or the number of Division I students. Parents should also consider their child’s academic ability, interests, emotional and social wellbeing, moral values, affordability, distance from home and the overall school environment.

Ultimately, the best school may not be the one with the highest grades, but one where a child has the opportunity to learn, develop and thrive.