The Singa Girls’ School: A Case Study in Educational Development
Author:
Susan Carol Hay
Degree Date:
May, 1991
Committee Chairperson:
William E. Cross, Jr.
Call Number:
Thesis DT 3.5 1991 H413
Description:
xiii, 285 leaves: ill., maps; 29 cm.
Abstract:
In September 1981, the Singa Girls' School, a secondary, home economics school, was initiated. Located in the Kivu Province of northeastern Zaire, the school operated under the auspices of the Community of Baptist Churches of the Kivu (CEBK--- Communate des Eglises Baptistes du Kivu), and was developed with the aid of the Conservative Baptist Foreign Mission Society (CBFMS) based in Wheaton, Illinois.
This thesis, presented from the perspective of the author's personal reflections, chronicles the schools' growth form 1981 through 1990 including its genesis, construction and complete Zairianization. The strengths and weaknesses of the school's development in such areas as planning, administration, finances, curriculum, staffing and communication are also analyzed. In a final evaluation, the school is deemed to be a success based upon six major factors: (1) the school is providing an education for Zairian youth which contributes to the attendant professional, social and health benefits; (2) it has contributed to the reduction of educational inequalities in Zaire; (3) it has become institutionalized; (4) it holds tremendous potential for future growth; (5) it is a testimony to the possibility of and the benefits of international cooperation; and (6) it was the vehicle for significant personal growth.
Due to a lack of accurate public documentation in Zaire, a large part of this thesis is based upon personal records and primary sources such as school and mission documents. Literature on education in Africa, development and educational administration provides the conceptual basis for this analysis.