St. Anthony's Boys School

St. Anthony’s Secondary Boy’s school has almost 1000 students with about 50 teachers on staff. The class size ranges from about 85 in Form one (9th grade) to only 50+ in Form 4 (seniors). The boys wake up at 4:45 in the morning, dress in their uniform and get ready for morning prep (study hall) and breakfast. Class starts at 8:00 and the school day ends at 4:15. This time is broken up into 10 different 40 minute class periods. Students stay in the same classroom and the teachers switch classes. In the evening after supper there is another prep time.

Monday and Friday mornings the boys have parade (an assembly) starting before 7:30. The Kenyan flag is raised, the national anthem is sung, religious songs are sung in Swahili, a Bible verse read, and then a reflection of the verse is given by several boys. Two or three boys will then give national and world news. One boy will give what we would call a pep talk about doing well in school. Next, a couple of teachers will give a pep talk, give names of students who have done well in various areas, plus remind them of things that need to be improved upon. Twice the boys “entertainment committee” has given a skit which helps give some comedic relief. Finally the principal gives his speech about ways to improve and why the boys need to give their best effort. Morning parade lasts for over an hour at which time students are standing at attention.

My form one math class has over 85 students. The two aisles between desks are only about 12 inches wide. There is an art to gliding down the aisle I am trying to perfect without catching my slacks on screws sticking out of the desks. The desks remind me of antique desks with flip up tops. There is only about two feet between the front row and the chalkboard where I stand.

Most of the boys come from the Rift Valley Province, but we have some from other regions of Kenya. Teaching math in Kenya is different from the US. Even though math is a universal language, I have discovered many cultural differences in its lessons and methodology. Students have algebra, geometry, plus basic math in Form One, not an entire year of algebra like in the US. Because of culture, some of the explanations have to be different. The books are boring by State standards and most of the examples are only for the very basic problems. Yet, the good news is that a textbook only cost about 5 to 7 US dollars compared to 60+ dollars back home. I have had to ask another teacher more than once how to use a chart or table as I have never seen a similar one before. Once explained it seems easy and logical. Very few boys have a calculator. Every two or three boys must share a textbook as there are not enough to go around. Also, it is not uncommon for boys to share pencils, pens, rulers, compasses, etc.

Extracurricular act ivies offered after school this term include choir, entertainment (drama), science club (we have boys who have qualified for the National Science Congress in Mombasa), and basketball (on a dirt court so when it rains ….), net ball, hockey, and football (soccer). One huge difference from back home is that ALL form 4 students quit extracurricular activities to focus on their studies for the national exam. In fact they have extra classes and extra studies in Forms 3 and 4th to prepare for this test. This exam, the K.C.S.E., determines not only IF they are allowed to go to college, but also WHAT college they will attend and what their MAJOR will be once they get there.

The following are some things that have happened to me that would seem unique to a teacher in America. I have been asked to counsel a Form 1 Samburu student (like the Masaai) who wants to leave school so he can be like his friends and herd the cattle, goats and camels. I hope I will be making a trip in the next year or so to north central Kenya to visit his family if we can convince him to stay in school. A second is having the class clap for a story I told on how to remember the 9s multiplication facts. This week a student asked me to say a special prayer for him so he can do better in math. A daily occurrence is students catching me as I leave class asking me to mark (grade the work they just completed) to see how well they are doing. A student in Kansas would never ask for extra work let alone ask to have a teacher double check to make sure they are doing it correctly.

I feel so blessed to be working with such bright, willing students. John