By Victor Ochieng’
Right at the onset, permit my pen to posit that we can preserve institutional memory in people, buildings, publications, portraits, plaques, libraries, annual events, recordings, phenomenal lectures, photo galleries, professional documents, inter alia.
To begin with, things begin to go south when there is high turnover of Principals and teachers in our learning institutions. All of us are conversant with the wise words: a rolling stone gathers no moss. Therefore, when the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) fails to give Principals ample time to settle in some schools as administrators, it becomes a bit difficult to steer clear on some long-term responsibilities and commitments. Whimsical transfer of Principals without some critical considerations makes management crisis to loom large. It also erases institutional memory. Arguably, this was one of the Achilles heels of the dead delocalization policy.
Largely, when a visionary Principal joins a new station as an arrowhead, it is advisable to have a clear roadmap for the institution. In Best Management Practices, legendary leaders supervise formulation, writing and implementation of Strategic Plans. As a scribe who assists schools to write and edit that great text, I am acutely aware that most Strategic Plans span for 5 years. This management document is a memory manual that acts a good guide for the school. So, it is utterly wrong to transfer Principals from schools just after a short stint before they begin implementing stupendous strategies enshrined in that plain plan.
Again, it is right to give administrators plenty of scope to settle in stations so that they go through good grafting and proper plugging. Somehow, sufficient time aid them to bond better with staff and students. When they establish close camaraderie with key stakeholders, this preserves institutional memory.
Perhaps, we should press pause button, and ask ourselves, what made Carrey Francis and Geoffrey Griffins to leave lasting legacies at Alliance High School and Starehe Boys Centre respectively? Ostensibly, my little research convinces my conscience that the two putative administrators had prime time to run the schools without interferences of capricious bosses who sometimes turn and toss Principals with comportment of contempt.
Somewhat, when we wend that way, our schools miss an aspect of institutional memory called culture and tradition. Yet, great schools spawn on firm foundations of culture and tradition. The textbook definition of culture is the way of life. While tradition encompasses routines, rituals, rites and customs preserved in order to prevent loss of principles and practices treasured in a particular community. Somehow, it is impossible to preserve such marvellous memories in places where there are no careful custodians keen to keep repositories. This explains why sensible and sensitive citizens value elders in the society.
Again, culture and tradition are tenets of history and heritage. Wendel Pierce observed, “The role of culture is that it is the form through which we as a society reflect on who we are, where we have been, and where we hope to be.” No wonder, there is the exigency of making learners treasure history of their schools. Marcus Garvey put it aptly, “A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture, are like trees without roots.”
Like, a great school such as Chuka Girls invests heavily on churning out quality school magazines treasure their past, present and future. Alliance High School documents its alumni in their annual yearbook: Making their past a prologue. When you tip-toe into the Principal’s office at Njoro High School, you will ascertain that they are keen to preserve the history of their school by hanging photos of former Principals on the hallowed walls. As a peripatetic public speaker, I have seen the same photos at Asumbi Girls. In Mudavadi Girls, the Principal of the school has a beautiful photo album that chronicles major events. Ribe High School abuts on Kaya Shrines: Helping students to appreciate cultural diversity, evinced by the Mijikenda Community. Most schools also hang boards in strategic places: Enshrining names of former principals, chairpersons of Board of Management, chairpersons of head students and top students in national exams. Hall of Fame — is the lingo and language known to all and sundry.
Moreover, institutions preserve memories in their panoply of philosophies and collective ethos — slogans, mottos, missions, visions, anthems and theme songs. Institutions dedicate buildings to personalities they would not want to forget about due to their indelible footprints on the sands of time. Shiny plaques pasted on buildings also point to a riveting rehash of who presided over some colourful occasions in the recent and distant past. Ipso facto, there are important professional documents that preserve institutional memory. They include school logbook, visitors’ book, occurrence book, registration certificate, prospectus, brochure, development plan, strategic plan, plus minutes of staff, Board of Management, Parents Association, et cetera.
Finally, annual events staged in institutions preserve memory. Some of these events could be alumni reunion, annual anniversaries, founders’ day, academic clinics and Annual General Meetings (AGMs).
Some institutions also strive to preserve their history on portraits about founders and alumni or staging memorial lectures to extol lofty ideas and ideals of their local legends.
The writer is an author and a peripatetic public speaker.
vochieng.90@gmail.com. 0704420232
