Prime
Integrity and diligence are my values
Juliet Muzoora Atuhairwe says she performs her duties with diligence and intergrity the reason she has been entrusted with authority. Courtesy photo
What you need to know:
- Juliet Muzoora Atuhairwe is the current head teacher of Bweranyangi Girls’ Senior Secondary School in Bushenyi District. A former student of the same school, leading it today makes her feel at home.
“I started school in 1977 at Kitunga Central School, (current Kitunga Day and Boarding Primary School) in Ntungamo District and completed Primary Seven in 1983, with Aggregate 11,” she recalls.
She was then admitted to her first-choice school; Bweranyangi Girls’ Senior Secondary School. In 1987, she completed O-Level and was re-admitted at the same school for A-Level because she passed well.
“As we filled our PUJAB forms, my father advised me to put Education as my first choice course. He told me other professions such as Law needed ‘people who could manipulate situations’ but I was ‘meek, naïve and sincere. I took his advice,” Muzoora says.
She was admitted to Makerere University in 1990 for a Bachelors of Arts in Education with Literature and English language as her subjects of study. She completed in 1993 and started teaching at her former school but graduated in January 1994. In December that year, she married Albert Duncan Muzoora Katakari.
“My former teacher and later head teacher Ruth Sande was always following me up to go back and teach at my school,” she says.
Ambition
After the birth of her second son in 1998, Muzoora enrolled for a Masters of Education at Makerere University and graduated in 2001. The soft-spoken head teacher also shares that she is a God-fearing person, a principle that was nurtured by her parents.
“I live a modest life. I admire the humility of the First Lady Janet Museveni. I look up to her for her sincerity in character which has really had an impact on me and many others,” Muzoora says.
But beyond being a head teacher who pushes for hard work and teamwork from her team, Muzoora likes debates and analytical conversations as well as counselling. “I also like children and working with young people and the church,” she reveals.
Muzoora the leader
To Muzoora, her leadership journey started in high school. From being a house prefect of Independence House at Bweranyangi Girls’ SS in 1986 – 1987, to being the Scripture Union treasurer, to being a deputy head girl and school chapel secretary in 1988- 1989 while in A-Level she has tasted it all.
At Makerere University, Muzoora was a discipline minister for Mary Stuart Hall. As a teacher, she was housemistress Independence House and then patron debate club and school magazine. She has also been housemistress, class teacher, head of guidance and counselling department and Eng/Literature department. In 2006-2010 she became chairman contracts committee and deputy head teacher Bweranyangi Girls’ in the same year.
In 2011, she was head teacher Mwengura SS and later moved to Kinyasano Girls’ school as deputy head teacher from January to February 2012. Between 2012 -2016, Muzoora was headmistress Bwongyera Girls’ SS from where she joined Bweranyangi again as head teacher in 2017 to date.
“I believe I grew through all these ranks because I am a dedicated worker with integrity,” Muzoora shares.
As an educator, she derives satisfaction from diligent and selfless service to her institution, and working with other institution heads for quality and sincere outcome, to have holistic products, especially the girl-child.
“My pleasure is seeing that everybody around me has got their self-actualisation and that I have contributed to their happiness and accomplishment,” Muzoora says.
Challenges
But even committed people face challenges and for Muzoora low self-drive of the youth nowadays demotivates her. “We keep encouraging them to get out of their comfort zones and work for their future. Additionally, the trend nowadays is that many people want to have luxury yet they do not want to work. So everyday we have to encourage the girls to be resilient, work and appreciate what they earn,” she says.
She also recognises that increased academic competition among schools is a big challenge because it causes some schools to use uncouth approaches to ‘belittle the traditional schools’ and work against them, instead of working with them.
“But as Bweranyangi Girls’ SS, we can never compromise our moral Christian standards,” she insists adding, “We should encourage our learners to be analytical and know how and why things should be done the way they are.”
Leadership roles
• House prefect of Independence House
• Scripture Union treasurer
• Deputy head girl and school chapel secretary
• Discipline minister for Mary Stuart Hall
• Housemistress Independence House
• Patron debate club and school magazine.
• Class teacher
• Head guidance and counselling and Eng/Lit department
• Chairman contracts committee
• Deputy head teacher Bweranyangi Girls’
• Head teacher Mwengura SS
• Deputy head teacher Kinyasano Girls’ school
• Headmistress Bwongyera Girls’ SS
• Head teacher Bweranyangi Girls’
