Kitala Senior Secondary School has taken a bold step to instil national values among learners by holding a vibrant patriotic parade on the school premises.
The day started with students marching in disciplined formation around the school compound, carrying the Ugandan national flag, singing patriotic songs, and holding placards with messages of unity, hard work, and love for the country.
The march, which later turned into a colourful parade, aimed to nurture responsible, disciplined, and law-abiding citizens ready to serve Uganda.
The Guest of Honour, Latif Abdul Musobya, Deputy Resident District Commissioner (RDC) for Busiro South, commended the school administration for shaping students into patriotic citizens.
“For any nation to develop, its youth must be patriotic. Patriotism is not just singing the anthem; it is working hard, being honest, loving your country and being ready to serve it. I am happy Kitala Senior Secondary School is doing this,” Musobya said.
He urged students to prioritise education, embrace ICT and science, and stay away from drugs and other destructive behaviours.
“You are the future of Busiro South and Uganda. If you love your country, you will protect the environment, respect your parents and teachers, and use your knowledge to create jobs rather than waiting for jobs,” he added.
Musobya pledged continued support to schools in Busiro South to promote both academic excellence and value-based education.
The Head Teacher of Kitala Senior Secondary School, Joseph Luswata, said the school launches patriotism training every academic year, targeting mainly Senior One and Senior Five students.
“We recruit mainly Senior One and Senior Five students. They are trained in Term One, trained again in Term Two, and pass out in Term Three because we believe this training is enough,” Luswata explained.
He noted that patriotism training was introduced by the President of Uganda in 1995 and is built on core values including mindset change, love, and loyalty.
“The first major reason we train these children is mindset. They should have survival skills and be open to new ideas that will make them change and pursue their careers better,” he said.
“Love is very critical. People should love themselves, love their families, love their school. If students love their school, they will work very hard for it to remain. That love will finally engulf the whole country,” Luswata added.
He said the program has helped reduce strikes that used to cause losses in many schools across the country.
“Back in the day, before such programs were introduced, we used to have strikes for no good reason. When people love themselves and love their school, they cannot strike against it. For us at Kitala, we have peace, and that peace has brought development,” he said.
Luswata added that patriotism also teaches students to fight corruption and value security.
Alex Kirega, the school’s Chairman of the Board of Governors, said Kitala Senior Secondary School is committed to producing not only academically excellent students but also patriotic citizens.
“At Kitala Senior Secondary School, we believe education without patriotism is incomplete. We are deliberately promoting national values: discipline, unity, integrity and hard work. Today’s march and parade is a practical way of teaching our students to love their country, respect the national flag, anthem and Constitution,” Kirega said.
He noted that a patriotic student is disciplined in class, respects teachers and fellow students, protects school property, works hard and rejects vices like drug abuse and exam malpractice.
Kirega thanked the Ministry of Education and the Office of the President – Patriotism Secretariat for supporting schools in instilling national values, and pledged to make the patriotic parade a regular activity on the school calendar.
The event ended with patriotic chants and presentations on Uganda’s history, to the excitement of parents, leaders and community members who turned up to witness the parade.
