It was time for the headmistress of the school in which I had been teaching to bid me farewell at the school hall. Her message to me was in the form of a warning, getting into my mind like the prick of a needle. She told me that “the school you are going to is of bullies; will you manage those boys?” I was truly shaken!
I must say that it took a brave move to ignore that warning and report at the school, enter a class to observe, and then plan to teach them!
I met students who were ready to learn and very caring about their teachers. The ‘bullies’ were incidentally kind with quite a number of them showing keen interest in their studies. When the results were displayed on the noticeboards, there were grade ‘A’s in various subjects just as you could find in other well-known performing schools that have no ‘bullies’. I do not want to dwell on the issue of ‘bullies’ because it is merely an assumption made by some people. In reality, there is no bullying at EHS.
Mrs. Orpha Osebe Nyakundi
The students at Eastleigh High School, however, have their own challenges common to adolescents and other human beings. Poverty is one such issue among some of our students and you see it as you interact with them. But their focus and dedication is so deep that one can hardly see any sign of suffering on their faces. Some have very high school fee debts but they hang on hoping for a miracle.
There are some other students who are orphans and do not have any known shelter. When you send for a guardian, they have none to bring. As you teach them, it is possible to notice a desire from some of them to get the attention of a parent. This may affect some of the students to an extent that they fail to pay full attention in class - unless of course a caring teacher realizes it and offers them the care and attention that the student is desperately seeking.
It is no longer a secret that some students do use drugs. I had an experience some years back with a student who was using drugs. Joe was not able to conceal the act. In fact, he even disclosed what and how often he had used those drugs. It was a struggle for him to go through school but because of his focus, he managed to score a grade ‘C’. He could have done better, though.
Drug use affects the brain and when taken in excess, the brain is affected permanently such that the student cannot comprehend what he is learning. In short, drug addiction is a disease and such persons need adequate medical attention, not ridicule, punishment or isolation. The best thing for people is to abstain from using drugs. Why go through all the challenges of drug abuse? There is no excuse whatsoever for using hard drugs because they have no benefit to the human body. They can only harm your body and soul. I therefore urge all students not to succumb to the attraction of drugs. Look after yourself and each other. Live responsibly now to avoid regrets in your later life.
I end with the words of Immanuel Kant, an educationist, who said “the aim of education is to develop in each individual all the perfection of which he is capable.” This has always been my desire and I hope of many other teachers. |
