And the first two new teachers reported that day

With the strike over, it was, unfortunately, time to return to school. Many people think that it is only students who find it difficult going back to school after a long holiday.

I wish to submit to you here that it is worse for teachers. And many of us teachers would have wished that the strike took longer – even if there was no salary increase after the strike; than coming back sooner even with higher pay.

After such a remarkable improvement in our 2014 KCPE results, we returned to school looking forward to a great 2015 – and I was keen to continue with Mwisho wa Lami Primary School’s transformative agenda early enough. But little did I know that I would be returning to a totally changed school.

In preparation for the new term and academic year, the Sunday before the schools opened, I spent the morning drawing the school’s duty roaster, as well as the timetable for the upper classes.

Although Madam Ruth is the Senior Master (no one calls her Senior Mistress) and in charge of making the school timetable, I did not trust her and, therefore, only allowed her to handle lower primary.

Ruth has a habit of assigning herself midmorning classes, leaving other teachers to suffer attending early and late classes.

That afternoon, I went to the school and pinned the school timetable as well as the duty roaster on the school noticeboard. Later that evening, I sent an SMS to all the teachers telling them that I expected them to be in school early morning so that we start compensating for the time lost during the strike. I also wrote to Madam Anita telling her that she would be on duty the first week.

“Find someone to be on duty in that school of yours,” Madam Anita responded immediately. When I prodded her further, she told me to ask the headmistress.

The next person to be on duty was Saphire, and you and I know that I would not ask him to step in for Madam Anita.

I called Tito to ask him to step in for Anita but he told me that he had been asked not to come this term. “You don’t now that Bensouda sucked me,” he told me in an SMS. Tito is an untrained teacher and had been here so long that we considered him a permanent TSC teacher.

Lutta also responded telling me that there was nothing to compensate. “All schools were on strike and there is no school ahead of us,” he said.

I was in school on Monday by 8 a.m. With no teacher on duty, I had to take up the role. There weren’t so many students as well. I supervised the cleaning of the school compound. No teacher had arrived by 9.30 a.m.

The first teacher to arrive was Nzomo. I need not say how excited I was to see her after such a long time. She had not been around for the whole vacation; otherwise it would have been obvious to both of us. She came to my office and closed the door behind her. She had not even been there for long when she started crying. It must have been the effect of missing me, I thought.

Her tears

“Bensouda amenifanya mambo,” she said. I asked her to elaborate.

“She has thrown me to Mandera just because she doesn’t want me to be near you,” she said

“What! Transfer to Mandera?” I wondered. Her tears increased and I moved closer, allowing her to put her head on my shoulder as I wiped her tears. I would be lying to say that I felt bad. I wished she would cry every day. I didn’t want her to stop.

We were interrupted by Mrs Atika who walked in a few minutes before 10 a.m. “Sorry, for the interruption”, she said as we disentangled from each other.

“No, it was a counselling session, but it’s over,” I said, welcoming her to the other seat in my office.

“You people are still in this school?” she asked.

“Yes,” I said. “Kwani where did you expect us to go?”

“Kwani hamjasikia?” she wondered. “Bensouda has ensured that almost everybody has been beaten transfer!”

“Who else has been beaten transfer?” I asked. “I am not aware. “Anita, Lutta, Nzomo, and Mary have all been beaten transfer,” Mrs Atika said.

“Si I told you,” said Nzomo.

“Huyu Bensouda anacheza,” added Mrs Atika. “I have been looking for transfer for long and she has given people who never wanted transfers.”

All the mentioned teachers were my close friends. If I could influence transfers, Madam Ruth and Saphire would be the first to leave. I equally didn’t like Mrs Atika.

“What of Saphire?” I asked. “And Ruth?”

“Which HM will accept Saphire really?” wondered Mrs Atika. “You forget Juma is Ruth’s husband, she can’t be transferred hivihivi?”

 “Even Tito was fired,” added Mrs Atika. “This woman will bring this school down.”

We were still talking when Bensouda arrived. She went straight to her office. Lutta and Rumona, my former sister-in-law, arrived shortly after. If you remember, Rumona had gone for maternity leave in September and we were all happy to see her back.

TSC jobs

The HM called for a staff meeting shortly after. “It will be a brief staff meeting,” she had told me.

After finding out about everybody, she began. “We all agreed to work anywhere in the country when we took up TSC jobs. As a result, you may be aware that some members of this staffroom have been transferred to other stations.”

“But why was I taken to Mandera?” asked Nzomo.

“And why was I not transferred yet I have been asking for transfer?” asked Mrs Atika.

“Ok good ladies,” said Bensouda. “I did not have anything to do with the transfers. If you have any problem please go see the County Director of Education.

“Nzomo, Lutta, Mary and Anita have been transferred,” she said. “We also will be losing Tito and Rumona since our PTA has no money to pay them but most importantly, because they are not trained teachers.”

“Madam HM,” I said. “We we’re already overstretched; we can’t just lose five teachers.”

“That’s not you problem,” she answered, “We will get replacements – starting today. Mine is to ask all of you to say a good and smooth goodbye to the teachers leaving and welcome the knew ones and help them settles.” And the first two new teachers reported that day.

To my delight, Sella was one of them. A former class mate, I had met her a week earlier but she had never mentioned that to me.

Also reporting on Monday was Kuya, a teacher who I knew had been interdicted at least twice in neighbouring schools.

Two other teachers, Oscar and Lena would report on Wednesday and Thursday. We were still expecting another teacher to reports but he had not reported by Friday.

In the meantime, Lutta and Mary have been spending most of their time at the county education office trying to block their transfers while Mrs Atika has been busy looking for a transfer.

Whatever happens, these are new beginnings for our school. I just hope that we were brought good teachers. But I must admit that I was sad to see Nzomo leave, I will surely miss her!