Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

Post by Lara

30 September 2013

Because we were traveling, we missed the first two weeks of school this year, which last year would have meant we missed absolutely nothing, since students tend not to come the first few weeks of a term and then teachers occasionally decide not to show up one day and then suddenly it’s October and time for a mid-term break! No really, we hardly started teaching last year before October and almost as quickly as that picked up, we got most of a week off.  Anywho, we weren’t too worried about missing some classes since 99% of the time we’re the most punctual and reliable teachers at our respective schools.  At least, that was until my students went on strike to replace the administration.

Let me back up—I meant to write a post back in April when the strike happened…but I couldn’t really find the words and before I knew it, it was history and I didn’t really know what to write anymore.  Essentially, a group of senior students at my school decided, with some guidance from an alumnus, that they wanted to see changes for the better on our campus and in order for that to happen they needed new leadership at the school. They staged a demonstration that started in morning assembly and followed it with a week-long strike, writing a letter to the school board expressing their frustration with the lack of effective teaching and discipline at the school as well as the lack of sufficient furniture for all of the students to use. 

Within a week, the board held a meeting and came to an agreement with the students, replacing both the junior high and senior high principals at our school with younger senior teachers who are both alumni of the school.  Many things were promised; among them, enough desks for all the students, more oversight of teachers to ensure they were teaching, and a more disciplined school that encourages learning.  For any school anywhere in the world, these kinds of changes from one academic year to the next would be a tall order.  I have to admit I didn’t expect many things to change. I guessed I would still be one of the first teachers on campus each day and one who spent more of my school day teaching than the vast majority.

Well, I’m here to say I was wrong and I’m thrilled about it.  I returned to my school to find the staff room freshly painted with new vinyl floor mats and window curtains, the administrative building spruced up and the rain gutters remade, and students and teachers on campus in large numbers.  I have been the first teacher at school only once this academic year, and in fact I’m not usually the second, third, or fourth either.  Morning assembly has been attended by an average of 15 teachers every day (last year the average was 3 or 4), and the staff room seems to be used once again for teachers preparing for classes or taking breaks between classes.  In short, our school seems to be operating as a school should, which is more than I can say of most days during the last academic year. 

Mr. Sengeh, the new principal, addressing the assembly.

Some of the changes will take longer— the next round of standardized tests starts in May, I believe, so a few months after that we’ll be able to gauge any improvements.  Additionally, many of us are watching to see whether teachers and students fall into old routines—low turn-up at morning assembly, teachers and students skipping school during the day, minor infractions going unpunished, etc.  My hopes are high, especially because I’ve heard the new administrators make numerous comments about the fact that they are under the microscope now and they will be judged based on the success or failure of the school in the immediate future. 

Students getting new football uniforms!

So far, I’ve seen some amazing transformations take place in the short time I’ve been in this community, and I’m looking forward to finding out what’s to come for my school and my students.