School year in Kenya started with difficulties because the public school teachers went on strike. Parents and school children who had been gearing up for the start of the 2015 school year were disappointed on Monday, January 5, 2015 after teachers failed to show up for the first day of class. Although private schools’ teachers did not go on strike, the parents with children in those schools get confused regarding their children having to report in schools while the other schools are not operating. This is especially for those who live far and in remote places. Communication is better now with cell phones almost in all places and parents were informed to bring their children. The pupils reported well but more gradually than expected. First the old students came while those small third grade newcomers reported a few days later. Because of this confusion some of the children who had applied to come to our school preferred to stick to their former schools as there were not head teachers in the schools they were transferring from to officially clear them to come to our school. This was one of the reasons and also, because a few children transfer from our school to other schools, our population dropped from 274 children to 253 during this trimester. The head teacher has informed me that some parents who had applied, have called and may bring their children at the beginning of a new trimester or early next year.
This year the schools opened on the 5th of January which is my Birthday and the day when the first children were enrolled in the school in 2009. The 2015 school calendar in Kenya has been approved and this school year will take 39 weeks. The first two terms will contain 14 weeks each, while the third, traditionally the shortest, will have 11 weeks. The new students started well in the grades they came to and the teachers have been experiencing the usual initial complications of bringing the newcomers to adjust in the new environment, especially those who are coming to a boarding school for the first time in their life. The students who have been in the school longer are always a great help to the newcomers. This has become a good healthy tradition especially as I made it very clear from day one that there is not bullying in this school. January and February were unusually warm months and this made it healthier for the new children because there was not much common cold and malaria that come with cold weather.
PARENTS’ VISITING DAY:
Boarding Schools mark a day each trimester for parents to come to see their children who are away from home. On this visiting day as I have mentioned in the past, both parents may come and may bring their other children to visit. Relatives such as uncles, aunts or guardians may visit as well. They may bring food to share with their child and may also bring supplies such as soaps, pens and pencils, copy books and any other items that are allowed for use in school. Most of the parents arrive between 11 and 12.30 Noon, weather permitting. After meeting individually with class teachers where they are briefed on the progress of their child, and if they do not need to meet the head teacher (which is optional and only for the those who may be requested to do so), they may go and look for a favorable place to share a meal and visit with their child and may stay until they are ready to go home. Some parents leave earlier than others because of the distances they have to go by public means.
Visiting day is one of my favorite days in the school as it happens when I am there. I get an opportunity to meet the parents whom I have not seen before, especially those who have since brought new students to us. February 21 was the visiting day for this trimester and all reports about it indicates that it was a wonderful day weather-wise bringing a crowd of almost 600 parents and children in the school. Our new students – the little ones were being visited for the first time and for some parents it becomes emotional seeing their child who has never been away from home so long. The children are, however, proud to be in a school away from home, and will have stories of the new friends they have, their teachers and school life.
TEACHERS’ STRIKES IN PUBLIC SCHOOL – KENYA:
There is a long line of strikes that have interfered with the Kenyan education sector in recent years, highlighting the country’s education challenges. Experts say these challenges can be traced back to 2003, when free primary school education was introduced. While the move was lauded the world over for increasing access to education for millions of Kenya’s poorest children, it also resulted in a severe strain on the country’s already inadequate school infrastructure and facilities. Non-existent or poor public school infrastructure has, along with teacher shortages, been a major barrier to improving access to public primary and secondary education in Kenya.
As one teacher mentioned in a public school, some schools’ structures are poorly maintained due to lack of resources and this affects the concentration of learners and ultimately, their performance in exams. There is also need for more teachers to cater adequately to all the students. It is said that Kenya’s public schools have an average of 50 students for every teacher, though some classes have only one teacher for 100 pupils.
There is another report that highlighted widespread teacher absenteeism as a major problem and analysts warn that an education system that produces illiterate and semi-literate children will have dire socio-economic consequences. The report further states that vibrant economies and creative democracies (that are chorused by some Nations) cannot be built in East Africa when the majority of our children cannot read and count well.
BUILDING:
I have no report on any physical development going on in the school for now. There are however ordinary things that need to be done such as buying furniture for both Library and computer rooms, working on students’ walkways connecting to each building and some landscaping that has been pending completion of the constructions.
SCHOOL WEBSITE:
Following the dissolution of Friends of Father Symon Jubilee School nonprofit organization that raised funds for the benefit of the construction and establishment of the school, it is appropriate to have a new website for the school bearing the official registration name of the school that is Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School. Most of the work has been done but some pages are still under construction. https://mhl.hxi.mybluehost.me/website_e30e867a/.