Vision and Mission

My previous post may have made it evident that I am in the midst of some soul searching, trying to pin point what it really is that I am doing here in South Africa. In my desire to try many things all at once, I’ve encountered a great deal of frustration as one thing after another gets in the way of my plans. An illustrative and ironic example is the current gridlock over computer instruction. A few weeks ago, my high school received forty brand new computers and a new server. They were received while I was away for training. The twenty old computers were removed from the room that just barely fit them and the forty new ones were crammed in so tight that you cannot lay the keyboards all out because they will be on top of one another. Now we are waiting for an inspection from the agency that has provided these computers and are told we cannot move them because that is the room the agency chose as their computer center room (7 years ago when they donated the first 20 computers). Even after the inspection, there is no physical way we can use all forty computers so the result is that 20-40 of the schools 60 computers will probably just collect more dust. I’ve started pushing, and will soon start shoving and elbowing, to use one of the three large empty halls as the new center for the 40 computers and return the old twenty to the old center. Teachers can then use the old computers for class prep and record keeping while the forty new ones can be used for classes and class research (all have Encarta installed on them). This is going to require convincing the donating agency to allow us to make a new computer center room, finding the money and labor to burglar proof and wire up one of the halls, and then move and setup the new computers again, return all the old computers to the old room. Then I can return to my original roadblocks of finding class time, finishing adapting and creating instruction material, dealing with constant electricity uncertainty, getting internet, and developing an Information and Computer Technology Policy for the school. But hey, I’ve got about 19 months left to get that done.

Faced with these frustrations (and I know my fellow volunteers face similar if not more daunting tasks at their sites), I feel a sense of kinship with those members of my schools staff that really care and want to provide quality education, but find themselves buried under piles of bureaucracy and pulled in many directions by the Department of Education, Teachers Unions, the village, and their own personal lives. Sometimes I think it pays to step back, take a deep breath, and answer the big picture questions again: Why are we here? What are we doing? Where are we going?

This past week, I worked with my schools in the second part of my workshop series on School Improvement. Our tasks were to re-evaluate the schools Vision and Mission Statements and then to use our previous analysis to come up with a prioritized school improvements list. There are many ways to define Vision and Mission but I focused mainly on the questions they answer. A Vision statement answers the questions: Where are we going? What is our ideal position in the future? A Mission statement is a bit less pie in the sky, answering the questions: Why are we here? What are we doing? Both should be succinct and clear and created with support from major stakeholders.

Here is a sampling of the fruits of my workshop and my own introspection.

Old Visions (verbatim…not my spelling/grammar errors)

Tsoe Primary School: To further the interest, well being and education of all learners.

- Upgrading of school premises

- Improve the financial status of the school

- Creating a conductive and safe learning environment for our learners

- To promote excellence in school

Ba-Ga-Lotlhare High School: To produce an Education Process which will yield a responsible, high quality, relevant and independent individuals, capable of participating fully in the society four years from 2005.

New Vision

Tsoe Primary School: To produce learners that are productive to the entire country.

Ba-Ga-Lotlhare High School: To develop learners into accountable South African citizens who will achieve excellence in global society through their initiative and creative thinking.

Old Mission

Tsoe Primary School: To commit ourselves to maintain high quality standard of education for our learners.

- To promote the culture of learning and teaching

- To promote and foster sound relationships among stakeholders

- To elect an effective and accountable governing body in our school

Ba-Ga-Lotlhare High School: To improve and develop skills, talents, guidance and capabilities of school stakeholders which will establish all democratic structures and also produce people who can deal with different challenges and situations inside and outside our country (R.S.A)

New Mission

Tsoe Primary School: To provide quality education by involving all stakeholders in order to produce learners who will be responsible and independent thinkers.

Ba-Ga-Lotlhare High School: To provide all learners with quality education, and to motivate and develop them in totality through the involvement of all stakeholders.

The difference

Besides the obvious changes in structure, both old and new may come off as nice idealistic statements. The biggest difference though is that the new statements were created by almost all the teachers and management together and so now I have something to hold up to them and say, “This is what we committed ourselves too and I am going to hold you to it.” And I hope that that will be at least marginally more productive than using something the teachers have never seen or heard before.

My personal goals

Vision: To have schools effectively and autonomously setting goals and monitoring and evaluating progress towards those goals, to lay the foundations for a culture of accountability and high expectations amongst both students and school staff, and to have youth leaders that foster and encourage constructive activities.

Mission: To work directly with school staff and students to empower them to realize their goals by providing them with ideas and advice, helping them secure resources, and training them with new skills to enhance their work, while at the same time keeping an open ear and eye to community needs so that opportunities for larger community development can be spotted and supported.

Last week, I found myself heaping my outrage on various groups outside my control: the computer donation company, the government, text book writers (who’s rewriting history now and incapable of doing science and math?). They were impossible challenges that made me feel powerless, useless. Thinking and reflecting on the big picture has helped me breathe out and realize that even though there is a lot outside of my control, there is still a lot I can do as long as I am positive and creative. Getting those things done while I’m here is my real challenge.