As you all know, we sent 31 computers to EHS, Nairobi. On behalf of Old Eastleigh Boys, Nisar Butt, our Treasurer and myself went to Nairobi to make a formal presentation. In addition, I was at Eastleigh High School for 2 weeks. I had a very busy, exciting and rewarding experience, which I outline below.

Meetings and seminars for teachers
I had meetings with the Principal Mr R M Wambugu and members of the IT committee. Being an Education Adviser by profession myself, I conducted two seminars, one for all staff and the other for all Heads of Department. I spoke about Education in the UK to all pupils in two separate groups, Junior (Forms 1 and 2) and Senior (Forms 3 and 4). I showed DVDs of different subject lessons in U.K. schools to teachers and pupils. Both were fascinated by the resources and teaching methods. They asked a whole range of interesting questions about fees, examinations, discipline, homework, uniform, class size, teacher pay, and teacher training. We learned quite a lot from each other.

Lesson visits, training sessions and pupils interviews
As a part of my agreed programme, I visited lessons of 6 members of the mathematics department and gave them feedback on what I saw. The next day, I visited lessons of 5 other teachers – Business Studies, Biology, English, Geography and History – and gave them feedback too. Both groups of teachers were very appreciative of the support and said it was the first time that they had someone looking at their teaching and giving them a report on their strengths and areas for development. In the training sessions later, I highlighted features of a good lesson including the beginning, the middle and the plenary. The videos of the UK lessons exemplified vividly the main points I was making. I was really pleased by the excellent attitude and behaviour displayed by the pupils in all the lessons I observed. They were all totally focussed, keen to learn and kept on task in spite of the slow pace and the repetitive nature of many of the lessons. I interviewed representatives from each of the classes for all years from Form 1 to Form 4. They came out with some interesting ideas, which I fed back to the school authorities.

The buildings
I visited the school, toured the buildings and all the classrooms. We saw the playing fields, the 'new' Cricket pavilion and changing room facilities built by Kanbis Cricket Club. Kanbis use the facilities every weekend and the school uses them during the week. In return, Kanbis have built for the school, free of any cost, the concrete perimeter wall, which makes the school safer. They have built the kitchen and dining hall. They have also put in a bore well and soon the school will be able to use water from it too!

I was upset by the lack of maintenance and the poor state of repair of the buildings. It badly needed a coat of paint. The toilets needed more regular attention. The classrooms were a bigger shock. Many were dark and dingy. In most of them, there were only two fluorescent 'tube' lights, in some only one. The windows often had a layer of dust and many broken panes were not replaced. All classroom doors were of solid metal with an imperfect 'square' cut out to operate the handle from inside. This was done in the mid 90s to combat the persistent burglary, damage and vandalism to classrooms and furniture, often after school hours. The ceilings were the worst part – with many sections missing and others having a huge number of holes apparently made by 'pangas' to hide drugs in the 1995 to 1998 period - from what some boys reported. The wall cupboards in classrooms that teachers in our day used to stock exercise and textbooks were bare spaces with doors either missing or damaged. The school has a limited budget for repairs and maintenance and cannot afford to repair and refurbish the buildings and classroom in one go. It will take several years. In the mean time, the poor learning environment for pupils can hardly be an incentive to raising standards! We therefore hope that in partnership with the Old Boys in Nairobi, the Kanbis Cricket Club and the Board of Governors, we can play a positive role in providing the school with a facelift. I would welcome your suggestions.

Economic aspects
During my time at the school, on at least two occasions, I saw many pupils outside the gates as they had been sent home for not paying their fees. At the same time, there is a strong feeling in the school that if they were able to offer boarding facilities, standards would improve as a 'more able' group of families would send their children to the school. The school has 747 boys at present. The school roll should be over 900! So the school is under subscribed and less popular than others. The location of the school in the poorer 'Eastleigh' area does not help. We cannot do a great deal in this area except to support the school in every way to improve both the quality and quantity of its intake – which will help overcome many of the barriers to success.

Computers for EHS
All 31 computers we sent from London arrived at EHS in good shape except for a couple of monitors. Computer Aid International, the company we used, has agreed to replace them. The school organised a presentation of the computers on Friday 29th June 2007, which was very impressive. Apart from the late start caused by waiting for Kenya Television (which did not show up!) the afternoon was very successful. We had Rashpal Devgun from Nairobi, Dr Parvin Syal from Los Angeles, Nisar Butt and myself representing the Old Boys. The Board of Governors, the PTA, the teachers and pupil representatives all attended to make it a memorable occasion. I was invited to address the meeting as the Chairman of Old Eastleigh Boys. I outlined the process by which we had arrived at the decision to donate the computers. I thanked the school for their warm hospitality and for their confidence in allowing me to visit lessons and speak to teachers and pupils. Nisar Butt and myself, on behalf of Old Eastleigh Boys, then made the presentation of the 31 computers to the Chairman of the Board of Governors.

The pupils were really thrilled to get the 'new' computers and so were the staff. The Principal, the Chairman of the Board of Governors, the Chairman of the Parent Teacher Association and the Head Boy were all truly grateful for the generous support from the Old Boys and thanked us most profusely during their speeches. They all, however, hoped for our continued support for more computers and facilities! (I therefore plead for your generous support at the Dinner Dance on 20th October 2007 at Baylis House. The details are on the website and will be posted to you all.) We were later interviewed by a journalist and got a good write up in the following week's Education section of the Kenya Times – a copy of which will be on our website www.essalumni.org

The IT Room, network and Internet access
As far as the location of the computers is concerned, the school has identified two rooms on the first floor in the 'newer' block above the current staff room. The windows of these rooms were being 'grilled', the doors 'metalled' and the ceiling 'sealed' with metal sheeting and barbed wire! The school promised that all computers would be relocated in these two rooms, networked and secured before the beginning of the third term in September. Forms 1 and 2 will have access to the computers as a part of their school IT curriculum programme. Forms 3 and 4 will have the opportunity of using the computers in after school classes and at weekends. Therefore all pupils will have the opportunity of access to 'hands-on' IT now!

Three schools each from Nairobi, South Africa and the UK are a part of a British Council project that will provide Broadband Internet access for an initial period of 1 or 2 years, after which the schools will have to find their own money to fund the project. The idea is to kick start Internet access and for the three countries also to link their schools as a part of promoting global fellowship and understanding in young people. Fortunately for us, Eastleigh High School is one of the three Nairobi schools included for this programme. We therefore hope that there will soon be email and Internet connection for and with Eastleigh High School Nairobi! I will keep you briefed on developments.

Visits to other schools, Computer Aid International and Computers for Schools in Kenya (CfSK)
In order to give me a better idea of what schools were like, the school arranged for me to visit a number of other schools in Nairobi and to visit their IT facilities. I visited Ofafa Jericho and Upper Hill schools. Upper Hill is now a boarding school. Their dormitories had closely packed bunk beds for the 800 boarders. Upper Hill seems to have irrefutable evidence that their standards have gone up since going 'boarding'! EHS are therefore also keen on the same idea. I also visited Highway Secondary and Moi Girls School. However, the IT facilities at Eastleigh High School are now at least as good as those at Ofafa, Upper Hill, Highway and Moi Girls schools, if not better! The challenge now is to maximise the use of these facilities and raise the standard of education at Eastleigh High School to a new high!

We visited Computer Aid International in Nairobi and they were very helpful. They may be able to provide EHS with a server in the near future! We then visited Computers for Schools in Kenya project on Mombasa Road. They do training for teachers and computer support/maintenance for schools for KShgs 10,000 per year. EHS has agreed to get involved with CAI and CfSK proactively.

Dinner Meeting with Nairobi Ex-ESS colleagues
And to close, we managed to get 23 ex-ESS colleagues to come to a Dinner meeting on 5th July 2007 at Panafric Hotel. I am grateful to Teja Singh Kalsi for contacting everyone and co-ordinating this function so successfully! Nisar Butt and I spoke briefly about our activities and what we planned to do. They all seemed very happy to help and unanimously agreed to form a local Nairobi ex-ESS Group to work closely with us, to support our school and also help in the successful organisation of future programmes and reunions. We await their news!

I hope I have covered all the main points. Please have a look at the photographs as well. I would welcome your questions, queries and suggestions. Please do not hesitate to get in touch with me at jntanna@aol.com.

Jayant Tanna - Chairman, Old Eastleigh Boys - 30th July 2007