For the whole month of September public schools teachers in Kenya have been on strike, meaning there has been no teaching and learning in public elementary schools and high schools. Learning in private schools (Fr. Ntaiyia Jubilee Primary School operates as a private school) was going on smoothly until a circular issued from the Ministry of Education ordered all public and private schools in the country to close on September 21. Many private schools ignored the order, but public schools had to comply. My school (Father Ntaiyia Jubilee Primary School) however, closed and the children were sent home as we monitored the situation. The children in the class that is waiting for public examination was left in school and their classes carried on as usual.
After one week it came out clearly argued that Private schools teachers have no issue with their employers and the children in private schools have no reason to be away from their classes and for this reason I asked that the students be called back to school after being home for a week. Our students are back and learning is continuing as usual. The decision to close the private schools was viewed as illegal and against the rights of the private school owners and the children. A lawyer for Kenya Private Schools Association argued that the directive was placing the owners of such schools in a dilemma over school fees paid for the trimester. He said that there was a binding agreement between parents and the Private Schools to have children in school until November 13 the last day of the third trimester of 2015, allowing the students to break for end of the year holidays.
However, on Saturday 3 October 2015 at noon, Teachers Strike was suspended and teachers resumed duty on Monday 5 October 2015. The union leaders said that the strike has not been called off but that it has been suspended for 90 days. The students in public schools returned to classes after missing learning due to the teachers’ strike that paralyzed learning in public primary and secondary schools for a month.
As examinations approach, it is normal for students to get anxious, and this anxiety could hurt their performance. Anxiety leads to panic and feelings of inadequacy. Teachers play a big role in preparing the candidates mentally for examinations. It is all psychological; teachers supervise and mark (grade) the examinations. The teachers’ strike has had a multitude of other effects, including creating major challenges to parents taking care of their children at home. But the more often cited impact in the crusade against any teachers’ right to strike is on student learning. The logic here is simple: students cannot learn if they are not in school.
Apart from the strike issue and the week that children in Fr. Ntaiyia School had a break, learning has been going on well and I am glad to report that communication with the teaching staff and the other school staff indicates that things have been going along well there. I have also been in steady communication with the head teacher and she assured me that things have been moving forward well. Our class of this year seems to be well prepared to face the examinations. I called and the head teacher had her phone on speaker and I talked to the class. They are happy to be in a school that was not interrupted by the strike. It is our prayer and hope that our students will do well and that there may not be general effects of teachers’ strike on public examinations.
TEACHERS: I mentioned in the past that the teachers we employ are trained in the system required by the Kenya Ministry of Education and we are usually employing those who may be looking for an opportunity to secure a job with the government because it is better paid, has other benefits and a better pension scheme. This month two of our teachers have secured a job with the government and they had to leave immediately after the teachers’ strike. We have been able to reach two teachers who applied for a teaching job and are able to come to school which means the students will not miss their classes.
VISITING KENYA: As I mentioned in my July blog letter, I was not able to make my planned visit to Kenya that was to follow my Sabbatical last November because I was called back to the US due to concern about Ebola which was being reported in West Africa. After I settled down to my work in the Parish after Rome, we have been busy preparing for a Golden Jubilee year, 50 years since our present St. Mary’s of the Lake Church was built relocating the Parish from Main Street of the village of Ontario, NY. After preparing for a year our Bishop Rt. Rev. Salvatore R. Matano officially opened our Jubilee year on September 13 with a Mass. This year I wanted to visit Kenya when our graduating class is taking their final and public examinations and the other students preparing to end their year of examinations. I will be in Kenya between October 24 and Thanksgiving Day. I will be able to meet for the first time the students who were enrolled early this year and during the year. I will also meet the parents when they will come to take their children home for December break. As usual, I hope to visit members of my family and intend to work in the school.
THE SCHOOL: Friends of Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School has a website and we have constructed the main pages on https://mhl.hxi.mybluehost.me/website_e30e867a/. Friends of Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School have formed a nonprofit organization that is now a 501 (c) (3) so donations that may benefit the school are tax exempt. Hopefully we shall have possibility of receiving donations online.
Fr. Symon Peter Ntaiyia
5823 WALWORTH RD
ONTARIO NY 14519