Every Story of the World Begins Somewhere

 

Remarks to the School Community, Tunyo Primary School, Arror Ward, Elgeyo Marakwet County, Kenya

Saturday 13 April 2019

Paul Kipchumba

The Principal,

Teachers,

Parents,

School alumni,

Guests and friends,

Ladies and gentlemen,

I am gratified to speak to the community of Tunyo Primary School.

When I was asked to make these remarks I felt like I was speaking to the community of my former primary school that, in my view, faces the same challenges as Tunyo Primary School. 

I sat for my Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) at Chechan Primary School in 1996 and was lucky to subsequently join St. Patrick’s High School-Iten then the University of Nairobi, where I majored in literature in English.

I am aware that the performance of this great school has been fluctuating and there is an urgent need by the school community to put the school into a competitive path of excellent performance.  I am most happy to be associated with this noble goal.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I would like to speak about the story of the world as beginning from somewhere. Every part of the world faces certain challenges that compromise with their ability to realize their aspirations. For instance, some nations face poverty, civil wars, environmental disasters, infectious diseases, while others even face serious elements of progress confusion. Therefore, the challenges faced by Tunyo Primary School can be surmounted by good will, thought and commitment. Thus, we should ask ourselves, why can’t Tunyo Primary School be the best performing school in Kenya? Why not?

Tunyo Primary School can awaken the history of humanity because every story of the world begins somewhere, and Tunyo Primary School is somewhere. In the coming years I am hopeful that I will hear some of the stories of the world emanating from Tunyo Primary School.

The school community can draw a strategic vision for the school community. Most primary schools that I have visited in Kenya lack written strategic visions. I consider this one of such challenges that we face as a society both at individual and institutional levels. I strongly advocate for a school community with a concrete strategic vision that children and adults alike will be reciting as they keep the struggle for good performance going.

While academic performance is important towards the standing of the school, I equally encourage all-round education that focuses on talent search in art, music and sport. I know that it’s daunting at the beginning; however, once the momentum is sustained through a step-wise development that builds up and out from internal resources it is going to be possible. Success is not dictated by buildings or other material provisions but by the commitment and determination of the stakeholders. It takes only one person to change the world; it equally takes the stakeholders of Tunyo Primary School to produce excellent performance.

Ladies and gentlemen,

As a school community we should emphasize the economic empowerment of the stakeholders so that they will be in a position to participate in school development. This will entail the school equipping the library with computers, Internet, printing and other services for both internal and community-wide use, and also organizing occasional education outreach programs and public lectures. Learning institutions that make history make them because they support their school communities. Our schools should be developed in a way that is intended to support different aspects of our development as their core responsibility.

I am confident that Tunyo Primary School will be built in a way that is intended to support the local community then the local community will support the school, hence good performance will be realized. Therefore, Tunyo Primary School should be the reference point for other school communities and for the world at large.

Thank you very much.

I wish you all the best.