Newest St. Anthony's Student

When John went to school on Monday he thought he was going to be giving and marking math exams. However, Mr. Nabungolo, his principal, announced that he and three teachers were going to a primary school about 15 miles away for their Academic Day. John went so the head of the math department could stay at school to administer math exams to students. They left within fifteen minutes of this announcement.

Niagomi Primary School is located in the rural area probably about two miles from the closest village. It is an extremely poor area. John noticed that several students didn’t have shoes. This school is sponsored by the Catholic Church, but hasn’t been performing well. On the average in the past few years, only six students had scores on the KCPE high enough to allow them to attend a quality (provincial) school.

A new principal started there in January and is trying his best to improve the quality of education for his 800 students. That is why he asked members of St. Anthony’s at be the speakers on this special day.

During a discussion, their principal told them that they did have a student, Collins, from last year’s class that had qualified to attend St. Anthony’s. For a student to score this high from a poor mixed day school is truly amazing. He has to be extremely bright. However, his family didn’t have the funds to allow him to attend. His father abandoned the family at birth and the mother is no longer in the picture. He is currently living with a grandfather who is a casual worker and doesn’t have a regular job.

The first year in a secondary school costs over $500 by the time parents pay the school fees and purchase the necessary items: storage trunk, bedding, uniforms, shoes, books, school supplies, basins for bathing and laundry, etc. When Mr. Nabungolo heard this, he immediately decided to waive the school fees at St. Anthony’s so that Collins could continue his education. A village elder, another teacher and John have chipped in to pay for those necessary items.

We are happy to report that after one of his former primary teachers took him shopping
Collins started school the next day.

Academic Families

As a way to help students through their two most stressful and difficult years of secondary school, St. Monica’s organizes Academic Families. One teacher is assigned to meet fortnightly with five girls as an academic family. (Did you know fortnightly means every two weeks? I sure didn’t.) The purpose is to organize girls from different classes with one adult to talk about issues that are affecting them, study skills, goals, answer any questions, discuss simply anything that is on their mind.

This is my Form IV Academic Family. Meet Macklyn, Winnie, Veronica, Katherine and Millie. Millie wants to become a journalist, Winnie a plant geneticist, Veronica a pilot, Katherine a surgeon and Macklyn a human resource manager. During our first meeting they had to fill out paperwork indicating their marks (grades), academic goals, and hoped for KCSE scores. They asked for extra work in English which I am happy to provide. Surprisingly, they have already completed one extra assignment I gave them

We have also formed Academic Families for the Form III students. We met for our first time this past week. Two of my “girls” are in my English class. That means I only have to learn three new names. Since it is their junior year, they don’t have near the pressure yet. We were able to informally chat and get to know one another.

This weekend is Visitation Weekend. It is the one chance that parents get for the term to come and visit their daughters. I decided to go and see any of my Academic Family girls whose parents weren’t able to come. This is Caren and Rispa enjoying biscuits (cookies). They aren’t allowed to have any outside food except on Visitation Days, so they were thrilled to be able to have something sweet.

When Caren comes to school she has to travel for 14 hours. Luckily, she has a brother who also attends a school in Kitale so they are able to travel together. They leave home at 2:00 am and arrive just before the gates close at 4:00 pm.

Rispa has been attending boarding school since she was in Standard Two (2nd grade). Several girls her age started going to a boarding school several hours away when they were only 8 years old! Their parents would put them on an Easy Coach bus and they would travel together. Easy Coach is the bus we travel on to Nairobi. They have metal detectors and screen people as they get on the bus. It is the safest bus line in Kenya, but I still don’t think I would be able to put my 8 year old daughter on it to send her off to school for three months!

Reporting Day

This week Form I (freshman) students reported to both of our schools. Both St. Anthony’s and St. Monica’s are well performing schools, so many parents want their children to attend them.

When students register for the KCPE (Kenya Comprehensive Primary School Examination) they indicate four secondary schools they would like to attend. The results of this test determines which school they will attend. If a student receives appropriate marks, they get the school they want. At that point a calling (acceptance) letter is sent to the prospective students. If the family can afford the school fees, they are pleased and their next four years are determined.

However, for a multitude of reasons, perhaps because the school is too far, school fees too expensive, poor school reputation, etc. many parents are not happy with the school to which their child has been called. Then the parents scramble to find a place at what they deem is a good school. Our principals have been swamped with parents wanting a place for their child. The rumour among the teachers at St. Monica’s is that there have been over 400 parents requesting a place in the perhaps 50 openings.

Once the called Form I students report to school, if there are openings left, a second round of calling letters will be issued. What determines who will get these calling letters? The results of their KCPE, primary school attended, ability to pay fees, pleas of parents, priests, or influential people

Here is what Reporting Day is like.

When the parents and students enter the school compound they begin to wait in the first of many lines. The first queue (line) is to make sure they had paid the enrollment fees. At St. Monica’s they were required to pay half of the fees, about $350. If they couldn’t they were turned away. It was heartbreaking to see about 25 girls sent away for lack of fees. They have until Monday to raise the money. If they cannot, their spot is given to one of the lucky ones on the waiting list.

Next stop is the school supplies inspection. At St. Anthony’s they are to bring 12 exercise books (notebooks), 2 reams of copy paper, 1 ream of foolscap (looseleaf) paper, pens, geometric set, ruler, maths tables book, Swahili dictionary, English dictionary, Bible, and a couple of more books and folders.

Third stop dealt with school books. The students had to give a math, English, Kiswahili, French, CRE (religious education), biology, and a geography textbook, plus 2 to 3 short library books. If a boy did not have everything the parents had to sign a ledger with their phone number stating why their child was not cleared and when they would have the required materials.

Next was an explanation of school rules. The class (homeroom) teacher went over the rules explaining them in detail. These include such things as: no outside food, no outside clothes (they must always be in school uniform), no electronic equipment such as cameras, ipods, telephones, etc, must attend class and preps as scheduled, no fighting, drinking, etc. The rules were signed by the student and parent indicating that they understood them and knew that the consequences of not following them were expulsion from school.

The fifth stop was to check to see if they had personal items: 2 blankets, set of sheets, bedspread, toothpaste and tooth brush, bath and laundry soap, 6 pair of underwear, towel, pajamas, sleepers (flip flops), basin (to do laundry in), dish, cup, spoon, plus a few other odds and ends.

Next they talked to the school counselor. She covered personal and medical needs. They signed up for extracurricular activities such as sports, the religious group they want to attend on Thursday afternoon, and club to attend on Tuesdays.

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Finally they were assigned a dorm, class and student number. The last stop was to get their school uniforms. When they arrived they were wearing the primary school uniform. It was amazing to see the transformation when they came out wearing their new uniform. At that point, there were many smiling faces.