Drama as parents are summoned to school to do homework with students

Last week, Meta Meta looked like a Gumbaru Centre. Parents sat with their children in the hall, under tree shades and in the field supervising them complete December holiday assignments. Indeed, some parents were so infuriated that hadn’t it been for us teachers, a few young souls would have been in the ICU.

As you are aware, our opening staff meeting came up with the daredevil resolution of improving our mean score by three points. The feat would see us mentioned in the same breath with academic giants like Kabarak and Alliance. Parents would have to queue and beg to have their kids admitted at Meta Meta. Those lucky to get admissions would pay with a piece of the sky.

“Parents will pay anything when they are sure that their children will pass exams and proceed to the university. That is why top schools are also high cost schools,” a no nonsense Okonkwo had declared during a staff briefing. Teachers, including Aeneas who had initially opposed the resolution, made sure that all students who hadn’t done the December holiday assignments went home to collect  their parents.

Mean score

Such a mean score improvement would see us airborne on ‘The Pride of Africa’ airbus on a motivation trip to China. Schola claims that she can help those without passports get the document in less than a week. OKonkowo addressed the assembled parents and their children in the school hall.

“You blame teachers when the school’s mean score is low. You had a whole month with your children and did not supervise their holiday assignments despite our resolution in the last AGM,” he barked, waving the minutes of the last parents AGM. Now, do your part and ensure they finish their work so that they can join the others in classes.”

“How am I expected to read ‘Mustahiki Meya’ with my daughter and summarise it in a day?” asked a bewildered parent. Another shot up and said that he had just come from Arusha, Tanzania where he ran a business and that he had booked a return ticket. Okonkwo mischievously asked him, “Ndugu, what do you think Ndugu Magufuli would have done?” Kevo’s father was hopping mad.

He narrated how his son had even refused to go to his rural home for Christmas, claiming he had a lot of holiday assignments. The retired military officer threatened to kill his son on the spot. “I don’t need a fundraiser for your funeral, I can manage on my own” he yelled, grabbing the hapless rascal by the neck.

In the safety of Okonkwo’s office, Kevo confessed that he didn’t go to any library and that he had been joining his friends to listen to music and ‘chapiana’ stories. “El Chapo? have you now gotten links with the Mexican drug baron? His worked up father jumped up. I had to explain to him ‘kuchapiana’ is sharing stories. “Hand over the money I gave you!” he ordered.

Apparently, Kevo would be given money every morning as fare to the library and for lunch. He said that he had used it to buy ‘labels’: a Manchester United FC jersey and a pair of Fubu sports shoes. I saw some parents assisting their kids to stitch a Pajama which was the Home science project. A parent who was claiming to have learnt Maths from the legendary Carrey Francis was giving a talk to the students on how easy it was to pass in maths. Another was mad. She claimed that not all brains are wired for books.

She only wanted her son to clear KCSE and get an identity card since she already had a stall for him at Eastleigh’s Garrissa market. “Then you should have taken your son to a village polytechnic” shot out another. To say the least, it was dramatic.