WELCOME BACK TO SCHOOL INSPIRE LEADERS

The Sun Never Stops Shinning on those Who Never Stop Believing

I great you in Jesus mighty name.

I celebrate the zeal you have displayed. In many cases, some would have given up. But you are here. It takes a lot. Here is a quote to get you started.

"Belief creates the actual fact."
William James

"Believe you can and you're halfway there."
Theodore Roosevelt

Is it Education or Leadership?

Is it Education of Leadership?

By Mubita C. Nawa

I thank God for the opportunity to write in this wonderful supplement. Three years ago, with six children only, we embarked on a journey to transform the way we view and perceive our children. We decided to establish Inspire Children’s Academy, a leadership school for children.

It is difficult to claim that we are the only leadership school in Zambia as such claims would be unsubstantiated. Yet it is tempting to think as such for though there are many wonderful schools in our nation, few view children as leaders.

Today we are proud to have graduated the first two grade seven classes at Inspire with a 100% pass rate. Both years our entire grade sevens passed and I must confess we are under pressure to ensure that we continue with our trend.

Education is not easy. It is costly as a matter of fact. Few people stop to wonder and think about the quality of education they may be providing or exposing their children to. One of the things that make it so costly to run a school is the legal requirements such as annual permits, statutory remittances to pension schemes etc. As your business or school grows you incur new costs such as legal fees, advertising, insurance, retirement and the like.

Inspire Children’s Academy now has three schools in Lusaka. One in Chalala, another in Woodlands and our latest baby in Northmead off Azikiwe Crescent. My wife and I see these schools as extensions of our dreams and ambitions. They are our ideas of influencing our communities so that our children can grow up as leaders, entrepreneurs, directors and dreamers. It is a shame to come across people at universities and colleges who do not know what they want to do when they grow up. Is it education or is it leadership that we seek at learning institutions? We have figured that it is leadership that we need. We need someone to propel us to greater heights and children are no exception.

There is a scripture in the bible where God questions the integrity of the children of Israel. In 2 Samuel 7:5-8 God instructs David through Nathan to build Him a house made of stone. God complains that he had not dwelt in a permanent structure since the delivery of the children of Israel from Egypt.

From that biblical account, we can deduce that many people in our nation do not prioritize education for their children. They drive expensive cars and live expensive lives but their children’s minds are in “tents” and not permanent structures. I am concerned as an educator that we are forgetting that the type of education we expose our children to will determine what type of leaders they will be.

At Inspire, we look for dedicated parents and families. We seek people who have no hesitation when it comes to paying school fees for their children because they value the investment they are making. Recently some statistics came up of a school in Lusaka. Out of over four hundred grade seven students, only forty nine made it to grade eight. To top it all, the teacher to child ratio is one teacher to seventy children. I have even heard of some private schools whose teacher to child ratio is nearly as bad as public schools.

We must all care. We have caped our teacher to child ratio at twenty five children to one teacher. Once it exceeds that we create another stream. Excellence is a commitment and it is a dual courage way.

Our nation will only grow when parents refuse to compromise the education standards of their child and schools stay committed to creating excellent teaching environments.

A parent came to get a quotation at Inspire Chalala and they happened to find me behind the desk. As we charted I discovered that they were very careful about what kind of education they wanted their child to be exposed to. They quizzed me left right and center. Wanted to see the toilets their child would be using and even desired to meet the ladies who would cook the food as their child would be joining our feeding program. I was sweating and panicking not out of guilt but subconscious self correction. By the time they left the building I was glad they had gone so I could catch a breather.

Yet I was so refreshed that we still have such parents who would take the time to care about the quality of education and leadership training their child gets.

Education is a journey and it must be worth the walk and effort that we put onto its path. On my Head Mistress’s desk is a thank you card from one parent. It reads “to Inspire Children’s Academy management and staff, thank you for the hard work you have shown in motivating our son Moono and in ensuring that he passed his grade seven exams to grade eight. May God bless you.”

With such feedback what can stop us from believing that our future is bright. Any businesses where the owners and staff remain dedicated to service excellence and quality delivery, the sky is not even the limit.

For us at Inspire Children’s Academy we are grateful for the favor of God on our lives. In three years of existence we have three branches and we continue to explore what options await us in future including secondary school and boarding schools. We extend our heartfelt thanks to all the parents whose children have already graduated and those whose minds we still mold and shape each day. It is such an honor to receive your support.

To my fellow private school owners and managers, let us give people value for their money. Let us transform the minds of these children so that one day we may all be proud. Let us work as teams and not compromise the fees you charge just to show that you have numbers. A private school is a school of quality first and quantity last.

Remember what the United Negro College Fund say, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.”

The author of this article is Mubita C. Nawa, Executive Director and Leadership Coach at Inspire Children’s Academy. Inspire Children’s Academy is a leadership academy for children located in Chalala, Woodlands and Northmead. For inquiries, Contact Tel 0978117920, 0978730723 or email inspirechildrensacademy@gmail.com