Ssenkima Ashiraf

School story · Tip #13

Picture a busy day school in Uganda, halfway through second term.

One morning, the bursar falls sick. She is told to rest at home for several weeks.

In many schools, this would be a crisis. Fees cannot be received. Receipts stop. Suppliers wait. Parents queue at the office, and no one can help them.

But this school had planned for this day.

Months before, the head teacher asked the bursar to train a second person. A young teacher sat with her every Friday afternoon. He learned how to receive fees, write receipts and keep the books. He learned where every file was kept and who to call for what.

So when the bursar fell sick, he stepped in.

Parents still paid fees and got their receipts. The kitchen still got its supplies. Staff were paid on time. Classes went on as normal, and the students never noticed a thing.

Weeks later, the bursar came back, rested and strong. She found her desk in order and the books up to date. Nothing was lost. She thanked her colleague, and the school carried on.

The school did not run on one person. It ran on a team.

The lesson: train a second person for every key job, so your school keeps running when one person is away.

Tips from attendify.site, a school management system.