A lecture delivered by Chief (Dr) Yomi Otubela, FCMA – Part II
In Part I, I shared the story of a proprietor whose school grew from 48 pupils to 280. I stopped at the turning point—the painful decision that changed everything. Let me now open that chapter.
The hard decision
Six months after restructuring, enrolment had improved slightly, but finances were still tight. Teachers were restless, productivity was low, and some staff were simply marking time.
One evening, the proprietor called me: “Sir, I think my biggest problem is not my parents. It is internal.”
I asked one question: “Do your staff clearly know what is expected of them?”
He replied, “They know they should teach well.”
I said, “That is not an expectation. That is an assumption.”
That was when we introduced Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)—practical, measurable standards, not abstract concepts.
Introducing kpis practically
We met with each staff member and defined clear expectations.
For teachers, this included consistent lesson note submission, measurable improvement in student performance, structured parent feedback, effective classroom discipline management, and participation in innovation projects.
For administrative staff, it meant prompt inquiry follow-up, proper documentation of payments, conversion tracking, and timely complaint resolution.
For the head teacher, it required structured academic reviews, supervision reports, enrolment tracking, and monitoring staff punctuality.
Once expectations became measurable, excuses faded, and performance improved.
The resistance phase
Introducing KPIs met with resistance. Change challenges comfort zones. Some staff openly resisted. A senior teacher remarked, “We have been teaching before this idea.”
Two staff members eventually left. Painful? Yes. Necessary? Absolutely. Growth demands courage.
Ask yourself: are you afraid to demand performance? Sometimes low enrolment is not market failure—it is leadership hesitation.
Innovation and change management
Education has changed. Parents are digital. Children are digital. Assessment is digital.
The proprietor introduced CBT practice from Primary Four, structured parent communication channels, academic performance analytics, classroom activity updates, and a simple digital results system.
Innovation doesn’t have to be expensive—it must be relevant.
When parents apply pressure
As structure tightened, some parents complained about homework and discipline. Instead of relaxing standards, the proprietor organised a Parent Engagement Forum.
He presented performance data, explained school goals, clarified policies, and opened structured feedback channels. He did not argue; he educated.
Some parents left. Stronger parents joined—those who valued standards and respected leadership.
If every parent dictates policy, you’ll have many principals and one confused proprietor. Parents respect firmness when it is professional.
Practical growth strategies
Introduce termly performance dashboards. Reward top-performing teachers publicly. Publish academic improvement percentages. Conduct parent roundtable meetings. Leverage alumni testimonials. Create a signature programme that differentiates your school. Set clear admission targets and track conversion, retention, productivity, and revenue streams.
If you do not measure it, you cannot grow it.
The turning point, year two
By Year Two, enrolment crossed 120 pupils. Confidence rose.
Then a large, well-funded school opened nearby with modern facilities and aggressive advertising. Fear returned.
The proprietor called, worried that competition would finish them. I told him: competition doesn’t destroy structured schools—it exposes the unprepared ones.
What we did next surprised him. That strategy became the real multiplier and positioning shift that moved the school from survival to dominance.
Most schools get this wrong.
We will explore that in Part III, because growth is not only about fixing problems—it is about positioning strategically for leadership.
To be continued in Part III
Chief (Dr) Yomi Otubela, FCMA, President, National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools, Nigeria