This last week has seen hundreds of schools holding dedication days for their primary leaving candidates. This relatively new practice – less than 12 years in the making, looks innocent on the surface, but a lot has been going on behind the scenes.
To the average parent, it looks like a call to go and pray for one’s child and hopefully enable them to succeed in the coming exams. I attended a dedication ceremony recently and realized that much more is at play.
After the formal prayers were concluded, there were school heads from schools parents had never even heard of, or dreamed of sending their learners to. These school heads were laden with gifts, success cards and a speech for the candidates, at which they were being encouraged to consider these their new homes, after January 2027, when the PLE results are in.
The students had been rehearsing for a performance, which they put on to great effect. Two of the headteachers then picked out some of the students and offered them bursaries for senior one to senior four.
Quite the attractive package for parents hustling to find the tuition fees to pay for learners, in this economically bleak times.
But who are these school heads, and why were they at the primary school in the first place? The answer lies far from the amphitheater where all these events were happening. The secondary schools, mostly private entities, are using some of these primary schools as hunting grounds for candidates.
The primary schools appreciate the gesture, as it comes with some revenue from the visitors. The dedication ceremonies represents much needed revenue from the secondary schools in exchange for a platform to lure students for the next learning level.
In some secondary schools, this practice is even more pronounced where some unknown high schools tend to assure senior four candidates of all manner of treasured learning and sports facilities, as well as affordable tuition at these campuses, if the candidates agree to join them for senior five.
This unregulated practice among school heads started over a decade ago as a measure of moving away from the archaic practice, where parents ‘cautioned’ their children against failing their exams, often with threats of severe punishment, if they don’t meet the expected outcome – success. It was reasoned that the students needed more divine help, rather than threats of pain and regret, if they don’t pass.
Dedication days seemed to be going well in the beginning, but when opportunity meets need, a lot of issues can go sideways, if unregulated.
Right now schools looking for students to fill their classrooms at the next learning level have met institutions looking to send their candidates to next academic journey. And some have decided that those in need must pay for the opportunity offered.
Right in the middle are the parents and their children who have no idea that they are part of a lucrative annual transaction. For now, it is too early to worry about who benefits or loses out in this transaction.