We finally hired ‘finest’ brains to replace teachers on maternity

You can now see what crisis I had. The staffroom meeting was a three-people meeting.

What you need to know:

  • Part of the planning of the pregnancies was done through Husbands of Mwisho wa Lami School Teachers.
  • Mid last term, Mrs Atika was the first to proceed on maternity leave after delivering a baby boy.
  • She was followed by Lena, who, although had been coming to school, had not stepped in class for some time.

Those of you who have been following happenings at this internationally-recognised Mwisho wa Lami Primary School, will remember that in second term, last year, the unthinkable happened: we came to the knowledge that five members of our teaching staff were at different stages of pregnancy.

In short, all women except Bensouda were expectant. At the time, Mrs Atika and Lena were in their second trimesters. Madam Ruth and Sella announced they were just a few weeks pregnant while Nzomo, not wishing to be left behind pushed Mr Kuya, who has been her acting boyfriend for some time now, to do the obvious. Which he did!

It was not a coincidence. Part of the planning of the pregnancies was done through Husbands of Mwisho wa Lami School Teachers; an organisation bringing together husbands of the lady teachers in our school through a chama!

And that was not all. A few weeks later, it came to the attention of everybody that Fiolina, was also pregnant. I didn’t not know what to do and when I discussed it with Bensouda, she said that we would cross the bridge when we get there.

Mid last term, Mrs Atika was the first to proceed on maternity leave after delivering a baby boy. She had not been in school for at least two months – excluding August Holidays. She was followed by Lena, who, although had been coming to school, had not stepped in class for some time. She would only come to school to walk around and take chicken and chapati on Terrific Tuesdays and Thirsty Thursdays.

At the same time, Sella and Ruth were having all manner of excuses. They would not be able to come to school early or late and only appeared in school for a few hours, with Madam Ruth only reporting to submit a sick sheet that directed total bedrest but interestingly, she would be found in her shop selling and carrying heavy stuff to give to customers.

“The problem is not work,” she told me one day. “The baby I am carrying just doesn’t like Bensouda. Anytime I get to school and see Bensouda, I start vomiting.” She claimed that she would be fine as soon as she left school. Things were different for Nzomo. For some reasons, her pregnancy sent her to class. She did not even sit in the staffroom and would move from class to class.

“I think I am carrying a professor,” she said. “I am always unsettled before I enter class!” Luckily for us, last term was very short. And no sooner had it began that we were already closing in preparation for KCPE. As such, we did not feel the absence of the four teachers. Over the holidays, on the day Fiolina was downloading her file, Madam Ruth’s file was also preparing to be downloaded – and it arrived on Christmas Day.

This made Fiolina jealous, as her wish had been that our baby arrives on Christmas Day. Besides yours truly who was on maternity leave for men, we started the new term with three teachers on maternity leave. I came back the other week but due to the challenges we were having involving the transfer of the HM, it did occur to me that we had a staffing crisis.

But last week, Monday, I experienced it first hand when I called for the first staff meeting of the year. We already did not have Bensouda. And three teachers – Mrs Atika, Lena, and Ruth were on maternity leave. Sella called in the morning to say that she had been given total bed rest until her delivery, expected in February.

Erick was away at TSC offices, looking for a transfer which he has been seeking since his first day in school. Saphire had not reported. You can now see what crisis I had. The staffroom meeting was a three-people meeting. “Dre, surely should we even be meeting?” asked Kuya when the meeting began. “We are just two people,” he said.

Since they were cohabiting with Nzomo, I could understand why he considered Nzomo and himself as one. “What do you suggest?” I asked him. “Get us teachers. You are now the acting headmaster and pupils, parents, teachers are looking up to you for solutions,” he said. “This is a temporary problem and the teachers will soon be back.”

“So you mean pupils will idle until the teachers return?” Nzomo asked. “I know but there is nothing I can do regarding recruitment,” I said. “Kama umeshindwa na kazi useme tukusaidie ama tufanye,” he said them left the staffroom, effectively bringing the meeting to an end. That day I called Bensouda and told her the challenges we were having.

“TSC will not help you at all. It will even admonish you for poor family planning in your school.” She advised me to find a few students who had completed Teachers Training College (TTC) education or Form Four leavers and hire them temporarily. I could not find any who had completed TTC and were unemployed. So I resorted to Form Four leavers.

Towards this end I met the Principal of Mwisho wa Lami Secondary School. He empathised with me. “These are issues I would easily sort if I was allowed to head both schools as the government had suggested,” he said. “I will get you the best of the best who have passed through my hands.” We agreed to interview them the next day, Thursday. I was in his office by 8am.

“How many teachers are you looking for?” he asked. I told him that although we need five, we could only afford two at the moment. He had invited five candidates, his school’s best performers in 2016 and 2017. The first candidate was Tracy, who topped her class with a strong D plus. She said she could teach mathematics and English even though she has scored D in both.

“This is a very bright student,” said the Principal after Tracy had left. ‘Recommended for the job,’ he wrote on the paper and called the second candidate. His name was Atlas, and he too had gotten a D+ in 2016 – but the Principal showered praises on him even before he came. “He was our headboy and a fantastic young man who was clear university material, were it not for Matiang’i.” he said.

In the end, we picked three candidates – with the principal promising to talk to the third one to teach of free or to pay him if he insists. “He is a son of my brother,” he said. His name was Agrippa and had no certificates but he wasn’t not sure if he got a D or a D+. Please join me in welcoming Mwisho wa Lami’s Tracy, Atlas and Agrippa who reported last Friday!

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