You might be wondering, ‘Should I take this child to a day or boarding school?’ If your child is ‘big-headed,’ I am sure you already have your answer to this question, because somehow, boarding tames the wild ones. I beseech you to read this article before any decision is made.
I’ve been in day school from lower school till high school, and I was able to incorporate the experiences of people who have been through boarding school for all their school years. Together, we’ve come up with pros and cons of both boarding and day school in traditional and international schools in Uganda.
Comparing Day and Boarding School Fees in Uganda
Boarding school in Uganda is definitely more costly due to the accommodation fees, extra meals and other personal costs that come along with boarding. In comparison to a day school, the average of UGX. 300,000 is added onto the fees. On the surface, it may seem like a more costly option, but underneath, when you look at the nitty-gritty details, boarding helps guardians save.
School Feeding Vs Home Feeding for Uganda Students
In most Ugandan traditional schools, food is the bane of every boarding student’s existence; for some reason, it’s always bland. With Posho and Beans being the staple food, rice and meat eaten on special occasions, then matokee and sweet potatoes making their appearance once or twice a term. Fruits, an anomaly in most schools and vegetables are accessed only when purchased at the school canteen.
Boarding school food is often times too far stretched in between. A student is required to be awake by 4:30 am and in class by 5 am. At 7 am, they are released to have a snack, which is sometimes not provided by the school. Ten minutes later, they are back in class till 10 am, when they are given a break, which goes on for 30 minutes. In my sister’s boarding school, they only provide hot water during the break periods; the rest is on the students. At 1 pm, lunch is served; though in some Ugandan schools it’s sometimes delayed until 3 pm. Supper, the last meal, is then served at 6 pm.
The delay in serving food in boarding schools affects the students’ well-being. When mental energy is expended, food is needed to replenish it. Without food, the body begins to consume its own resources, which can lead to illnesses such as ulcers. Even if treated, this lifestyle in boarding schools prevents proper healing.
Meanwhile, some students simply cannot stand waiting in line for food. Maybe because the hunger is throwing tantrums in their stomachs, so they opt for the canteen, or maybe because they consider themselves too elite to be standing in lines. For these students, lunch becomes more of a mindset than a required meal.
When discussing school food, we mustn’t leave out the questionable methods some cooks use in meal preparation. In many schools, the prevalence of kerosene in food is high. Apparently, it cooks the food faster. Studies show that 46% of students exposed to Kerosene in their diet reported stomach ulcers and heartburn. In some cases, Panadol is added to beans and meat to tenderise them. A Daily Monitor article elaborates on the dangers of boiling large amounts of Panadol in food, which can end up damaging major organs such as the liver.
Why are cooks using harmful substances to cook for children? What is the school administration doing about it? Students have definitely complained. Why are their pleas ignored? Why must there always be weevils floating in the stew? Why can’t the beans ever look and taste appealing? In most traditional schools, food contamination is a normal occurrence. More so, no heart/love goes into meal preparation.
On the flip side, fruits and vegetables are more readily available to day scholars and those in international or high-end traditional schools. Their complaints will instead be about quantity or quality. They get to experience variety, making mealtime something to look forward to. Day students also have the privilege of constantly eating home-cooked meals, though for some, this is no privilege.
Snack, or as we like to call it in Uganda, grab, also falls into the category of food. It acts as food on most days, taking up the place of meals. In the 1980s, when Boda Bodas were as scarce as water is in the dry season, children in Kayunga were kept quenched with education. One Monday morning, a young girl, accompanied by her 2 younger siblings, escorted her 3 older siblings to the school bus stop about 2 kilometres away from home. All their grab jammed onto a wheelbarrow. This young girl hated reporting day because it reminded her of how privileged her older siblings were. They were cared for like guests, kilos and kilos of ground nuts, hard corn and soya were roasted and packed for them, but when it was her turn to return to school, none of this was done for her. It was very unfair to the little girl.
To make matters worse, on the return journey, she became the eldest child, which meant that it was her responsibility to wheel the noisy wheelbarrow back home. Everyone knew it was her coming back from escorting her siblings, and she hated this. It was as if the wheelbarrow was mocking her for not being in boarding school, adding fuel to the angry fire that raged within her.
Once she arrived home, she made sure to approach her mother and demand with tears in her eyes that she, too, be taken to boarding school. And indeed, the following year, her wish was granted.
For the younger siblings who aren’t in boarding school, snacks can spark jealousy. Seeing all those snacks being bought for just one person can lead them to ask, “Why does she need so many snacks?” or say, “Mommy, stop buying snacks, that’s enough for him.”
To a child who hasn’t experienced boarding, this can come off as extravagance and favouritism. Guardians and parents should explain to these children that snacks are meant to last for more than six weeks.
Extra Reading Hours for Day and Boarding Students
Extra hours of reading in the morning and at night for boarders is a mandate. At the weekend as well, boarders are required to study, while some hard-hearted teachers squeeze lessons even on Sundays. In traditional boarding schools, reading is the order of the day. However, with the new curriculum in place, some schools are veering away from the rigid approach that chains students to reading and instead encourage students to engage in extracurricular activities.
This intensity and pressure to read is something day scholars do not experience, unless their guardians or parents have initiated it. Morning and evening preps are a great initiative, allowing for extra discussions to be had amongst students and even with the teachers. But it can get too overwhelming for the students.
Dealing With Homesickness in Boarding Scholars
From missing the people at home to missing the party scene, homesickness riddles all students in various ways.
When boarders feel homesick or have something important to share with their family, they often ask to phone home. In most cases, this request is denied, sometimes to manage a situation at school, other times out of spite. When finally given a chance to make a call, they must summarise everything within a strict time limit, which only adds to the prison-like feel of boarding school.
While day scholars get sick of home, so tired of the routine, housework and homework, boarders get overwhelmingly tired of the routine at school. The early rising, the unappetizing food, the bullying, the ice baths at 4 am, the daily laundry, the absence of loved ones and the constant pressure. They miss the familiarity of their beds back home, their clothes being washed for them, the feel of clothes that are not uniform, they miss their non-school friends, concerts, and outings, the list goes on.
Sometimes the homesickness is really about the fear of missing out. Since many boarders refer to boarding school as prison, they feel trapped by it, unable to experience life in its abundance. This homesickness can cause them to escape from school and seek comfort in a bar, roadside chapati, alcohol, or even travel all the way back home.
It is important to first understand these children before administering harsh punishments. Sometimes, all they need is a change in scenery because the monotony of school eats away at their vitality.
Transportation Costs for a Day Scholar in Uganda
For day scholars, this must be considered greatly. If parents/guardians have decided that walking will be the means of transport to school and back home, then walking it shall be. But this comes with great risks, like abduction, assault, theft, accidents and shame (for the child). I include shame because for some students who go to specific high-end schools, walking is considered something done by “poor” kids. So straight away, if you are seen walking, you will be condemned, bullied and cast away even by those boarding scholars who would probably be walking as well if they were in day section.
If the parent/guardian has decided that their child will use the bus, then an extra cost will have to be considered. This cost varies depending on how far the home is from the school, but it can go from UGX. 100,000 to as high as UGX 1,000,000 per term.
When I was in lower school, we travelled daily by van from Kyaliwajala to Kitende and back. During the rainy season, buses often got stuck in the mud, making us arrive late to school. For day scholars, especially the ones coming from far, the journey often breaks them; they reach home too fatigued to do any homework, let alone house chores, yet missing homework the following day will mean punishment.
Avoiding transportation hurdles is one of the best things parents can do—for themselves, to save costs, and for their children, to reduce the fatigue of long journeys. What my parents did was move the whole family closer to the school. Thus, cutting tremendously on transportation costs. Another parent would instead opt out of the day option and instead place their children in a boarding school that requires no daily transportation costs.
Extravagant Student Expenditure
You left the child with UGX. 100,000 pocket money, a full case of grab, and some extra money with the teachers, just in case. Three weeks later, they call home saying grab is done. You respond, “ehhhh, already? Hmm, okay, use the money I gave you.” The child then says that that too is finished. Shocked, you ask the teacher, who confirms your fears: all the money is finished, including the reserve.
Boarding should be the place where children learn to spend wisely, not excessively. Parents have a role to play in this as well, by giving the child reasonable amounts of pocket money that will not encourage extravagance.
Theft In Ugandan Schools
Theft is inevitable in all schools; however, in boarding, thieves are more creative and aggressive. These thieves are very tactical, targeting days like visitation day, reporting days and school trip days. These days are special because parents give their children pocket money. In addition to money, labelled uniforms are stolen, buckets, sponges, slippers and even books.
Some steal because they do not have, while others steal because that is what they know how to do best. What parents could do to ensure their child isn’t an easy target, is buying regular items for their child. The more attractive the bottle, the harder it will be to resist the urge to steal it. Buy stuff that will not be greatly missed when stolen and that will not seek for attention from the thieves.
Money & Survival in Boarding and Day School
Some children turn their grab into capital for business, selling noodles, daddies, soap, books and anything they can to get some extra cash.
Boarding life is all about hassle. One student would sell second-hand phones in school to fellow students, just to be able to cope with the school lifestyle. In boarding and even day school, having money attracts more friends; the only problem is that they only appear when you have the money.
School Uniform Challenges in Ugandan Boarding Schools
In some schools, a child is given one of everything at the start: trousers (1), one t-shirt, one sweater, one skirt. If parents buy you more, well and good. If not, the child must be very clean to impress the prefects. Uniforms are a hassle for boarders, who wash something every day for the next. Imagine having one sweater, a week of rain, and a classmate spills porridge on you. Such situations teach children to dry clean clothes for the next day.
Prep ends at 10 pm, children head back to their dormitories to freshen up, wash clothes, kaboozi, and by the time they actually get to sleep, it’s midnight. This cycle goes on for 16 weeks.
Drugs in Boarding Schools in Uganda
Drugs aren’t specific to boarding or day school; a child can be exposed as long as they interact with others who use them. The difference is that in boarding school, children spend more hours with the wrong group, giving them more time to explore.
Unfortunately, the strict rules around drugs in some boarding schools push students to be more creative in sneaking them in. Schools like Seroma have dogs at reporting-day checkpoints to prevent drugs from getting through. Some schools even ban students from carrying food like bread and milk, fearing drugs might be hidden inside. And indeed, students hide bottles of alcohol or marijuana in bread and pour alcohol into Minute Maid juice boxes; no one would know.
Even with strict security, children often find ways to beat the system, sometimes making deals with those meant to keep them in check. Parents should remember that, in most cases, children do this to impress peers rather than because they use these substances. Other times, they are pressured to indulge because everyone else seems to be doing it.
Peer pressure heavily influences children. Many give in because they are still discovering themselves and lack a firm sense of identity.
Sexual Activity in Ugandan Schools
Do not assume a child is too young to be sexually active. In boarding schools, children engage in sexual activities with fellow peers, teachers and even support staff. All this is happening in classrooms, dormitories, behind buildings and in toilets. Children are inquisitive and very eager to explore, so once they stumble upon something as exciting as sex, they may not let go easily.
Parents have a duty to talk to their children about sex. Schools also have a responsibility to prevent sexual activity. Using cameras can instil fear and help reduce their frequency, while expulsion for students and termination for staff caught in such acts can serve as further deterrents.
Sexual harassment is also very common in both boarding and day schools. This harassment is often brought about by people the children respect, trust and whose actions they cannot question. A nursery and primary day school in Mukono experienced heavy backlash when a six-year-old girl was mol*sted by the security man. Everyone had left, and the boda boda man who usually picked the girl from school was delayed, so the teachers entrusted her to the afande. The silence, coupled with the absence of eyewitnesses, encouraged the afande to lure the little girl into the small waiting area at the gate and rob her of her innocence. By the time the boss man arrived, he had already done the deed and warned the child not to tell. She stayed silent until her body spoke first.
Parents with children in day schools need to be very vigilant. Guard your child jealously, taking nothing for granted. Even the van that drops off and picks up your child must be monitored. With the driver’s and the steward’s saved phone numbers, immediately follow up on any delays. On days the van looks different, call the school administration’s number. Question anything unusual and never feel guilty about it. Your child’s safety comes first.
Strange Happenings in Ugandan Schools
From mysterious attacks labelled ‘demonic’ to sudden suicides, strange events are common in Ugandan schools. In one boarding school, a pupil had to be tied to his bed whenever he had this strange urge to stab himself and rip out his heart. Another child brought sheep fat to school, adding it to his food, claiming it was meant to protect him.
I grew up with this sweet young lady who suddenly changed after joining a famous traditional school in Kampala. She stopped looking people directly in the eyes, became extremely closed off, and often during prayers, she got ‘demonic attacks.’ Her eyes would roll back, and her voice would suddenly change. In fear, she slowly lost friends, felt inferior, and eventually, suicidal thoughts began to plague her, as she despised her predicament.
Boarding school brings together all kinds of children from different walks of life, so it’s all about adjusting, accommodating and being slow to judge, while at the same time standing your moral ground.
Most of this ‘drama’ day scholars avoid, only hearing about it in stories.
Poor Hygiene in Schools
In boarding school, children are more prone to hygiene-related diseases due to communal spaces, shared bathrooms, toilets, buckets, and congested dormitories. If wardens or dorm mothers neglect cleanliness, pests like rats, cockroaches and bedbugs make themselves at home.
Namanya Grace, a high school student, bitterly complained about the rat infestation in their dorm. These rats invade their cases, steal their grab and eat it on their beds, leaving a mess. Grace said, “It was so disgusting seeing the mess the rats left behind. Some even die inside our cases, which is the most traumatising part about this hygiene situation.”
Day scholars experience poor school hygiene for limited hours, while boarders live with it until the end of term.
Conclusively, as much as boarding school may seem to ease the strain of child upbringing for some parents, it creates a divide. Parents focus on paying school fees while entrusting the school to raise their child. Without a caring parental figure, someone concerned with more than grades and meals, the world becomes overwhelming for these children. Cases of suicide rise, depression escalates, and anxiety plays its off-key tune in their minds.
On the other hand, day school may seem more affordable on the surface level, but costs can add up to what a boarder pays. However, day school may not support candidates as effectively as boarding school does.
Parents should be actively involved in their children’s lives. Observe, ask questions, and work to build healthy relationships. Build trust, seek to understand first, and discipline only if necessary.
A child’s education is paramount, but so is their well-being. Prioritising a child’s well-being over convenience sets you apart as a parent. It may not be convenient for you to be calling the school every three days, but for the sake of your child, it is necessary.
This article does not cover every aspect of boarding and day school, but these are the prominent ones that should help you enough to be able to make the right decision for your child’s schooling.
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