MWALIMU ANDREW: Uproar in staffroom over television

Following last year’s poor performance in KCPE, we came up with plans on how to prepare our candidates for this year’s examination. ILLUSTRATION| JOHN NYAGAH

What you need to know:

  • We committed to complete the syllabus by second term. But come second term, things changed. First, Catherina left and Bensouda came back with other ideas.
  • Secondly, a good number of female teachers started getting tired and since three of them handle Class Eight, they could not make it for early or late classes, making our plans to complete the syllabus early hang on a balance. Thirdly, there were elections.
  • The fact is that we all went into an election mood. And on many days the staffroom was purely for politics.

Following last year’s poor performance in KCPE, we came up with plans on how to prepare our candidates for this year’s examination. We however did not fully agree that our performance was wanting.

“This was the first KCPE under Matiang’i rules,” said Saphire. “Given this, such performance was expected.”

Lena  agreed with Saphire. “The entire exam process was turned into a police security operation,” she said.

“This is just an excuse,” said Sella. “We have always had police during KCPE, so let’s look for another excuse.”

“Yes we have always had police but they are never fully involved,” countered Saphire adding, “This time they behaved like invigilators and everyone, from the teachers to the students, were suspects.”

Catherina, the female headmistress at the time, called us to order, and asked that we discuss how we would do better this year.  Among other porposals, we agreed to complete the syllabus by end of second term.

“Third term should purely be for revision,” said Kuya, who was at the time trying hard to impress Catherina by trying to appear serious, yet we all know that he can never be serious.

“Can I request that every teacher be involved so that we can finish the syllabus earlier,” said Catherina.

“That’s a good idea,” said Sella. Keen to be recommended for promotion, Sella agreed with anything and everything that Catherina said. So did Kuya. But other teachers had other ideas.

“I don’t want anyone coming to confuse my candidates,” said Madam Ruth. “I have done some great work on English and I can’t allow other teachers to start teaching my candidates their own things.”

“Same case here,” said Lena. “I won’t let the good work I have done with the class in Social Studies be spoilt.”

It is Saphire who saved the day. “You people want us to come help you teach Standard Eight pupils,” he started. “Will you come help us with lower classes, like Standard One?” he asked.

It was an interesting question since no one would have allowed him to step in Class Eight and secondly, he doesn’t even turn up for lessons. In fact, he was put in Class One and Two as it has a lower risk!

But, his question was the deal maker, as Class Eight teachers refused to go help other colleagues and the team work idea died.

We committed to complete the syllabus by second term. But come second term, things changed. First, Catherina left and Bensouda came back with other ideas. Secondly, a good number of female teachers started getting tired and since three of them handle Class Eight, they could not make it for early or late classes, making our plans to complete the syllabus early hang on a balance. Thirdly, there were elections.

The fact is that we all went into an election mood. And on many days the staffroom was purely for politics.

“We will recover in third term,” Kuya said one day when I asked why all teachers were in the staffroom when they should have been in class.

“Who can concentrate in class when elections are about one month away?” he asked.

 “Personally the tension is too much. Look at all the seats, presidential, governorship, senator MP and the rest. The races are so tight, I can’t even think of anything else,” said Erick.

“Colleagues, I understand this but can we rise above politics and carry out our duties,” I urged them.

“Dre stop pretending,” said Kuya. “Right now no one in Kenya is thinking of anything else.” It was true, I was just trying to be a good deputy head teacher.

“If you insist that we go to class, we will go but we will just be discussing politics with the pupils,” said Erick. We however committed to making up for lost lessons in third term.”

But third term started with the presidential petition at the Supreme Court. During the campaigns, Mr Simba, who was contesting for a parliamentary seat, had promised to buy a TV set for the staffroom.

We had thought it was an empty promise but he delivered it two weeks to the elections. I had worked hard to ensure the TV is up and working in the staffroom. Since Supreme Court proceedings were live, no teacher left the staffroom that first week. 

“I will allow you to watch TV this week, but after the Supreme Court ruling on Friday, we all should get back to work on Monday,” said Bensouda when she arrived at school to find us all glued to the petition submissions. “We have a few days this term and have already lost time.” We all agreed.

But as you know, the Supreme Court threw a bombshell, and as such, we all went back to the drawing board. Since then, the tension went high in the country but more specifically in the staffroom. And since the TV stations are covering election matters all the time, we spend most of the time in this staffroom watching and as well as analysing what we watch.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” said Bensouda when she came last Tuesday, and found everyone watching TV. “We can’t continue like this.”

Saphire asked her to explain further.

“We have classes to attend to, syllabus to cover and many other things,” she said. “Yet I just see you seated here in the staffroom all day, when will we teach?” she asked.

“We know that Madam headmistress,” said Erick. “But if you look around, nothing is happening around the country. And nothing will happen until the elections are done.”

“Please remember that KCPE will not be postposed,” said Bensouda.

“We know,” said Kuya. “But we are not the only school where teachers can’t concentrate in class. There is no teacher in the country who can concentrate in class with such an epic electoral duel in the air.”

“That may be true but we have to prepare, otherwise the candidates will  flop seriously in the exams,” said Bensouda.

“Then all the candidates countrywide will fail, in which case they will standardise the exam by being lenient,” said Erick.

But Madam Ruth said something that infuriated Bensouda: “If you were coming to school every day then you would know that we don’t sit in the staffroom all day, only when there is something major.”

“What are you suggesting Ruth?” asked an infuriated Bensouda. “If this TV is what is causing problems, I will have it removed from the staffroom.”  She ordered the TV switched off and we all went to class. I left school early that day, and for the first time ever, I left Bensouda in school.

When we came back to school on Wednesday, the TV was not in the staffroom. I almost thought it had been stolen but was told that Bensouda had ordered that it be kept in her office.

On Thursday, Bensouda came and walked straight to her office, without talking to anyone. We were in deep political discussions and we all scattered to classrooms.

It was in the afternoon when I went to see her in her office. To my shock, I found her comfortably seated, her legs stretched on the table, watching cartoons on TV!

She told me that the TV will only be returned to the staffroom after the elections. “Even then, it will only be switched on during lunch time, tea break and after classes,” she said. “But for the time being, I will be taking it to my house for safe keeping.”

When I told the teachers, they were all shocked and we hatched a plan to ensure that the TV doesn’t leave the school. Bensouda is in for a rude shock. Watch this space.

 

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