Progress

Making Progress

In the past several weeks there has been noticeable progress at the building site. And, while the various crews are mixing concrete, sealing the water tanks, painting, and landscaping . . . We've been working on the nuts and bolts of the school program - admissions process, marketing, student handbook, employee policies, purchasing, uniforms, lunch menu, transportation, budgets and about 100 other tasks!!

At times it seems like a formidable endeavor. Jus as we compile a "comprehensive" list of tasks to accomplish, numerous others crop up. However, our tenacity is fueled by the grave state of the majority of Kenya's private and government schools. A recent article in the Daily Nation describes the state of many public schools, 

"The sorry state of public schools across the country can be revealed today. A survey conducted by the Saturday Nation presents a picture of decay, disuse and neglect in the schools. . . Open sewers, dumpsites in schools, crumbling ceilings, cracked walls and potholed floors, characterise the conditions under which many children in public schools learn. In one case at Muthurwa Primary School in Nairobi, used nylon bags, diapers and other refuse litter a section of the playground while at Roysambu Primary School in Nairobi, street children are self-styled guards. Puddles of a mixture of urine and water are what welcome one to a neighbouring school further down the road. . . At the Roysambu School in Nairobi, a stinky canal drains sewage into the school compound. An official at the school said the waste water is discharged from several neighbouring buildings. The Nation team saw a series of pipes directed into the canal leading into the school compound. It was lunch time and pupils sat on smelly mounds of soil under the trees as they ate their lunch in the horrifying sight. Discarded medicines, broken glass, razors and other dangerous elements are strewn all over the compound. 'When it is raining, the sewage covers almost half of the playground,' explained an official who refused to give his name for fear of reprisal from bosses at the Nairobi County Government."

Recently we visited a nearby private school, Northgate Preparatory.  Northgate is located in Bombolulu, a Mombasa slum. It has a population of over 200 children. Each classroom is no larger than  9 X 12 and accommodates 26+ students. There are no playing fields and the total inventory of their PE equipment consists of 1 soccer ball.  There are only two credentialed teachers on staff. 

Last week we met (twice) with the director of Kids Zone Tango School, the primary school which the girls from the home attend. The prior Saturday, while visiting with the girls at the home, one youngster who had been incredibly excited about having graduated from kindergarten to Class 1 reported that Class 1 was very bad because her teacher beat her. Following our conversation with the director about the incident, she sent a letter of apology and an explanation that she had met with the staff, identified the guilty parties and administered a firm warning. That same afternoon (post firm warning) another of the girls at the home disclosed that Mr. William had pinched her with such force that a red welt remained hours later. Back to see the Director!! The use of corporal punishment in schools is against Kenyan law. However, corporal punishment is prevalent.  The Kids Zone director explained that using corporal punishment is against school policy but that she has to tell teachers everyday, "whatever you do, do not hit the children." Teachers become frustrated and resort to the disciplinary approach that they were subjected to as students.  In the end, the director assured us that Mr. William would be dismissed.

When we began this endeavor, we had a fairly developed sense that the kind of school we were proposing - the curriculum, the classroom experience, the culture- would be different than standard operating procedure in most of Kenya's schools. It has only been the past few months that we have come to understand how very, very different. We envision a school where students are taken seriously, their voices matter and where teaching and learning are founded on best practices and current science. We are heartened that thus far it seems as though some Kenyans would welcome this very different kind of school. Last week we hosted a focus group to collect data on what our fee-paying target audience values when selecting a school.  One guest shared, "Education in Kenya is very different than in other countries. Here it is so forced and demanding. The system is too much for the student. We would love to have a different system with better teachers and students have a voice and will be considered. All children will be valued. Now education is very stratified. It's a different education for the rich and for the poor. But both the rich and the poor want the same opportunities for their children - education where all kids will be valued the same."

So, we wake up everyday and recommit to navigating bureaucracy, personalities, roadblocks - the unexpected.

- Randy and Susie