Minutes:
Notes of a meeting at El Rar Primary School
on 20 October 2019.
Present:
Benjamin Mwanzia
Headteacher, Mac Donald TSC
teacher, Joseph Shoka TSC teacher
Stephen Kameti and Gill Marshall-Andrews
Apologies:
David Kombe El Rar
TAS trust Secretary
School update:
There are 3 TSC teachers – all present and male – and no
BOM funded teachers. They hope for
another TSC teacher in January. There is
no ECD teacher. The community and parents are not positively disposed to
education and will not contribute to additional teachers’ salaries.
With 3 teachers and 8 classes each form is mixed
aged. This is very difficult for the
teachers given the pedagogic constraints of the curriculum.
7 candidates (6 boys and 1 girl) are about to take the
KCPE. Because numbers are low the HT will take them to Madogo for the exam next
week.
Numbers on roll
are ??????
There were no children in school as it was a public
holiday.
The teachers view is that the main challenge at El Rar is
language.
The children and community speak Somali and have only
limited understanding of Swahili, let alone English. The teachers do not speak Somali. It is clear that the lack of a Somali
speaking ECD teacher leaves the children unprepared for primary school.
There was a long discussion about projects that might
encourage parents and children into the school .
Projects:
The tank repair is complete but there has been no rain
yet. The kitchen looks good and is clean. The classrooms are well kept. No trees have been planted and the outside space
is brown, dusty and littered with occasional goats and donkeys wandering
around. There is no fence yet.
The teachers feel that a TV and DVD player would help
with the language problem and this will be the next project for the
school. They have solar power in the ECD
classroom.
The school also urgently needs a female teacher and GMA
/SK will speak to the Ministry about this.
