The folly of trying to make unpaid teachers go to class

“It is Sossion who fixed teachers. I am so mad with this Sossion.” He said. “He took us to strike in January and we went back to class empty handed. This time again we are going back to school empty handed.” ILLUSTRATION | JOHN NYAGAH

What you need to know:

  • I was in school early Monday morning. I was expecting a lot of students to be in school but by 8am, just about time for the parade, less than half were in school. No teacher had arrived.
  • Kuya immediately responded, saying that he was away and would report on Thursday. Mrs Atika said she was in Nairobi and all buses were full so she could return. Nzomo on her part said that she was at home in Nunguni and had no bus fare to return.
  • Following further discussions, the teachers agreed to kick start extensive revision for our candidates. The next morning I did not go to school early but when I arrived, I found the school in a mess.

I do not know about my “fellow colleagues” but I was quite happy when Wilson Sossion, the Knut secretary general, called off the teachers’ strike. As you already know, September was one long month for me. With no school to go to and no money in the pocket to engage in anything useful, the end of the strike was quite welcome!

Yes, TSC had not done whatever it was supposed to do with our accounts and they had even gone a step further to sit on our September salaries. But any teacher will tell you that when broke, the best place to be at is school – for when teaching, all teachers are equal!

I couldn’t wait to be in school – and as a responsible Deputy Headmaster, on Sunday, I went to school to prepare the way for the rest. I was in the office the whole afternoon during which I drew the school timetable, and the school’s full term programme of activities.

As I left school, I sent Bensouda, the female headmaster, an SMS telling her of my actions. When she didn’t respond, I sent her another text telling her that I was doing this since I knew that this would be a very short term and we needed to be ready by Monday. An hour later and she hadn’t responded; I fired another text to her, telling her that it would be good if she would be in school on Monday to set the required tempo. Late that Sunday she responded – via a one word SMS – “ok”.

I was in school early Monday morning. I was expecting a lot of students to be in school but by 8am, just about time for the parade, less than half were in school. No teacher had arrived. I called for parade and ordered that cleaning be done in all classes and staffroom. The school was in such a bad shape. I called Mrs Atika who was supposed to be on duty the first week and she told me that she had been on duty five weeks ago, then disconnected my call.

“This is week 6 Dre, I was ‘on week’ the first week.” she replied via text after I kept calling her. Sapphire was the one on duty for week 6. I did not need a calculator to know that it would be an exercise in futility to try contacting him. He would not even be coming to school, let alone accepting to be on duty.

TEACHERS IN A FIX

I had no option but to supervise the clean-up. The first teacher to arrive was Madam Ruth, quickly followed by Sella, and then Oscar. No sooner had Oscar arrived than he walked to the teacher’s toilets to smoke. I sent an SMS to all other teachers telling them that we would be having a staff meeting at 10.30am, and added that we did not have much time needed to start early.

Kuya immediately responded, saying that he was away and would report on Thursday. Mrs Atika said she was in Nairobi and all buses were full so she could return. Nzomo on her part said that she was at home in Nunguni and had no bus fare to return. “I will travel as soon as we are paid our September salary.” Saphire and Erick did not even respond. Lena arrived shortly after, her unkempt hair in tow.

The staff meeting was to begin at 10.30am, but at that time teachers were still discussing the strike and other matters dear to them. The school had served us ‘strong tea’ and only Sella bought mandazi to escort the tea down. The rest of us “whistled”.

“Yenyewe this TSC has put us in a fix,” said Madam Ruth. “I have been broke many times before but this one needs a new name,” she added.

“Hata usiongee,” added Lena. “Ni Kubaya. It’s so bad mpaka both Mshwari and Okoa Jahazi have put me in their black books!”

“Me. I have borrowed from everyone,” said Madam Ruth. “Nimekopa mpaka kwa house girl,” she added amidst laughter from everyone.

“I agree, this time round TSC fixed us proper,” said Sella. “I now understand why some teachers call it Teachers Suffering Centre.” Every one nodded.

“Let us not blame TSC unfairly,” said Oscar as he chewed Big G. He always chews one after smoking.

“It is Sossion who fixed teachers. I am so mad with this Sossion.” He said. “He took us to strike in January and we went back to class empty handed. This time again we are going back to school empty handed.”

“I agree,” said Lena. “Sossion is fake. I will never rely on him again. Now we have no September salary and he wants us back in school.”

“Don’t worry Lena,” said Oscar. “We will go back to school, but class hatuonekani.”

“I agree with you,” said Madam Ruth. “Until the government reconciles my needs with my pocket, my heart is not into teaching.”

“Enough of the stories,” I said. “Can we start our staff meeting?”

“Get serious Dre, you want to have a meeting with only the three of us?” asked Oscar. “Ama wewe umelipwa?”

I told them I had not been paid but reminded them that as teachers, we have to do the work we were employed to do.

“Relax Dre,” said Madam Ruth. “Wacha mbio Dre, you think if you die in class due to hunger this government will care? Never ever, another Deputy will be appointed even before you are buried.”

EXTENSIVE REVISION

“And why are you in a hurry for us to discuss lessons yet even more than half the students haven’t arrived?” wondered Oscar.

Cornered, I told them we would not discuss class matters as it was clear no one wanted to go to class.

“Let us agree on the duty roaster and also discuss the term’s calendar of activities,” I said. “As for classes we can discuss once the rest of the teachers are back.”

I informed Sella that she would be on duty the first week, but she refused, saying that she had an exam that week. Sella is a student at Maseno University.

Madam Ruth then received a call and left the staffroom. Shortly after she sent me and SMS saying that she had an emergency at home. It was a polite way of telling me that she would not be returning for the day.

I tried my luck with Lena but she too refused to be on duty. Surprisingly, Oscar agreed to be on duty the first week. “Let me finish this thing early,” he added. I assigned the next weeks to Lena, Sella and Madam Ruth in that order. The other teachers’ would be assigned once they reported to school.

Following further discussions, the teachers agreed to kick start extensive revision for our candidates. The next morning I did not go to school early but when I arrived, I found the school in a mess. This was surprising as Oscar had accepted to be on duty and I had expected him to be in school.

I called him and asked why he was not in school. “Dre but I agreed to take up week 1,” he said.

“And what are you not here?” I asked him.

“Check the official school calendar,” he said. “Week 1 started last week, this is week 2,” he then disconnected.

By Friday, when Bensouda first came to school, Kuya was the only other teacher who had reported. Madam Ruth had not returned since Monday. Bensouda was so upset to find the staffroom almost empty, and the classes, other than class 8, completely unattended. She called for a staff meeting tomorrow at 7.30am and for classes to begin at 8am. I am sure most teachers will come, but will Bensouda come?