By DORCAS MUGA-ODUMBE

Whenever Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) results are announced, they are received with mixed feelings from varied quarters around the nation. There are schools that perennially celebrate good results while others never feature anywhere among the top performers. One may wonder why these schools always top the charts.

Dorothy Kamwilu joins her students to celebrate the good results the Allicance class of 2011 posted in KCSE. [PHOTO: TABITHA OTWORI/STANDARD]

But success does not come easy. It takes an entire school fraternity — principal, teachers, Parents and Teachers Association (PTA), Board of Governors (BOG) and non-teaching staff — to record such results.

In recognition of International Women’s Day that was marked last Thursday, and its theme, Connecting Girls, Inspiring Futures, The Standard is recognising some of these principals who have enriched our country, and in particular girls, over the years.

Alliance Girls

Mrs Dorothy Mukiri Kamwilu, the principal of Alliance Girls’ High School has all reasons to smile. The soft-spoken woman who joined the school from Kaaga Girls’ High School, Meru, in April 2009 has seen the school go back to its rightful position in leaps and bounds.

The school was position three in last year’s KCSE and the top girls’ school in the country.

"We are working hard to get to the top. The girls have the ability and we know that with God, all things are possible. We always put God first," says Kamwilu.

The school that scored a mean of 11.082 in last year’s KCSE now targets 11.5 this year and hopes to have more than 100 girls scoring straight As. The principal believes in building confidence in the girls and helping them relax and have faith in themselves. She has cultivated an open relationship with the students.

"If you are approachable and positive, your students can then look to you for guidance and think of you as a role model, mother and not simply a teacher," she adds.

Kamwilu says the success of the school has also come about as a result of early syllabus coverage. This has been achieved by increasing contact hours between the teachers and the students.

Cliche that works

"‘What men can do, women can do better.’ This is a clichÈ but the girls and I insist on applying it and we have spoken so much about it," she quips.

This belief propelled the girls to beat some ‘big’ boys’ schools in mathematics, a subject that has for long been seen as a reserve for boys.

The school has introduced cell groups where three teachers take charge of 12 students and mentor them. This binds their relationship even more; the teachers are even able to buy gifts for their ‘daughters’.

"Appreciating teachers and non-teaching staff from time to time also does the trick. You can have bright students but if the teachers are not happy, you get poor results," says Kamwilu.

The principal has an open-door policy where students and teachers can walk into her office whenever they have an issue. Every Tuesday, she holds a meeting with the teachers where they talk and pray. The team spirit and genuine friendship in the Alliance Girls’ family has seen them come this far.

"I am grateful to our BOG and the PTA for their support. Without them, we would not be as inspiring as we are to the young girls who are our future leaders," she concludes.

Former students of Alliance include among others, Dr Sally Kosgey, Prof Olive Mugenda, Hon Charity Ngilu and Lands PS Dorothy Angote.

The school, whose motto is ‘Walk in the Light’ is literally doing that.

Machakos Girls

Machakos Girls’ High School’s principal, Flora Mulatya says that she has a lot of passion for her work. She loves her students and when she looks at them, she only sees a bright future.

So how does she inspire her girls?

"I tell them about today’s life, the challenges women face. Besides being their principal, I am also their mother and teacher. I encourage a lot of healthy competition among them. The girls visited schools such as Alliance High and Starehe Boys’ Centre just to get a glimpse on their day-to-day activities," says Mulatya.

After the visit, the girls went back charged to work. They said the boys were busy throughout the day and they wanted to do the same.

"After the trip, the girls promised not to let me down and they kept their word," says Mulatya.

The school managed seven As in last year’s KCSE up from only one the previous year.

The principal has ensured that the school operates as one family. Each teacher has a group of four to five girls that they take care of.

The atmosphere is such that the teachers and students in the school are comfortable. The students are each other’s keeper and whenever any of them does something wrong, the others caution her.

"The girls call me mum, they know I am strict and that it is for their benefit, but I still love them," Mulatya continues.

She believes that to be a good administrator, one also has to play the role of a mother.

"Your presence in school is very important. It is worth it to invest in them, walk with them and counsel them. We live like a family. The needy girls are supported by all," she tells The Standard.

The principal has made it known to the students that their results are communal. She ensures that the girls leave the school as all-rounded and that they can comfortably fit in the outside world. She has also ensured that the girls know that as long as they are in school, it is not business as usual.

"Performance starts with the students’ discipline and attitude and any change you see in a student should be positive."

Rallying all her staff — from the cook, typists, gardeners and teachers — does it. She believes they all have a role to p[ay in producing good results.

For the school, whose motto is ‘Success is doing extra’, they are not leaving anything to chance.