School mottos and visions are, in many institutions, nothing more than decorative slogans – statements crafted for convenience rather than conviction. They hang boldly on school gates, walls, websites and prospectuses, but their power rarely moves beyond the paint and paper that hold them. These phrases, often imported from the internet or borrowed from institutions continents away, are meant to impress parents, attract enrolment and create an illusion of direction. Yet behind many of them lies a troubling hollowness. They are lofty proclamations that sound good but guide nothing. In reality, most of these declarations are unfulfilled promises, fancy sayings that whisper aspiration but echo mediocrity in practice.
One does not need to look far to see the contrast between word and deed. There is a private school whose motto boldly proclaims, “Inspired by God for excellence.” A beautiful, biblical-sounding promise. But the lived experience within its gates tells a different story—one of cruelty, inconsistency, mediocrity, and confusion. No deity inspires such dysfunction. What the motto expresses and what the learners experience exist in two completely different worlds. The outcome is a betrayal of trust: parents believe they are enrolling their children in a nurturing environment aligned with divine excellence, only to discover that what truly inspires the school’s practice has little to do with God or excellence at all.
This contradiction is not an isolated case. Across the country, schools parade mottos such as “Excellence Through Discipline,” “Education for Self-Reliance,” “Shaping Global Citizens,” or “Integrity and Hard Work.” Yet if one were to walk through their corridors, attend their lessons, or observe their staffrooms, the mismatch would be striking. Some of the very schools that shout “discipline” harbour chaotic environments where teachers come late, bullying thrives, and management is inconsistent. Others proclaim “integrity” while engaging in opaque financial practices or inflating grades to impress parents. A school may claim to be “nurturing global citizens”, yet cannot provide basic exposure, creative learning, or even a functional library. These mottos are myths—appealing myths, but myths nonetheless.
If schools lived even twenty percent of their mottos and visions, the educational landscape would be radically different. Imagine institutions where “excellence” is not a catchphrase but a daily pursuit expressed through quality teaching, respect for learners, timely communication, and professional conduct. A school that claims to value “integrity” would model honesty in reporting, fairness in discipline, and transparency in decision-making. One that embraces “holistic development” would not merely advertise it but embed music, arts, sports, guidance, and mentorship into its daily rhythms. And a school declaring “discipline” would apply it consistently and humanely, starting with adults modelling it before demanding it from children. The problem is not that mottos are bad; the problem is that most schools do not genuinely intend to live them.
There is, however, an exception that proves the rule: Starehe Boys’ Centre. Its motto, “Na tulege juu,” is not just written on walls—it is written in the lives of those who pass through its halls. It reflects a culture built deliberately by its founders and sustained over decades through ritual, discipline, meritocracy, and mission-driven leadership. At Starehe, the motto is not a poetic slogan but a lived philosophy. It informs decisions, moulds character, and shapes identity. It is visible in the humility of its old boys, the stewardship of its leaders, and the consistency of its academic and co-curricular excellence. Few schools can claim such alignment between ideals and practice. Starehe’s example shows that a motto is only powerful if backed by commitment, culture, and leadership.
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In most other institutions, the motto is an afterthought—crafted during registration, copied from another school, or hurriedly coined during a board meeting. Once painted on the gate, it gathers dust. Teachers are never introduced to it through induction. Students are never taught what it means. Management never uses it to guide policy, decision-making, or culture. The motto becomes what New Year’s resolutions are to many people: hopeful declarations that feel good in January but fade quickly into forgetfulness by February. The difference is that schools are responsible for children’s lives, futures, and identities. When mottos become empty rituals, the loss is not cosmetic—it is moral.
A true motto is more than a slogan. It is a compass. It should capture the soul of a school and inspire its daily practice. But for that to happen, it must be internalised by leaders, embodied by teachers, and experienced by learners. It should shape how students are treated, how discipline is administered, how lessons are taught, and how decisions are made. It should influence how the school responds to conflict, supports struggling learners, and defines success. When a motto is lived, you can feel it in the school ethos. When it is merely written, it becomes noise—background decoration with no power.
The educational sector does not lack mottos; it lacks authenticity. It lacks school leaders courageous enough to align their practice with their promises. It lacks systems that reinforce values rather than marketing. And it lacks a culture that evaluates schools not by what they say, but by what they consistently do. Until schools begin to treat their mottos as commitments rather than cosmetics, walls will continue to shine with beautiful lies while children navigate the disappointing truth behind them.
By Ashford Kimani
Ashford teaches English and Literature in Gatundu North Sub-county and serves as Dean of Studies.
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