Day One in the Classroom

January 17, 2022

It was a cold Monday morning dated 17^th of January, 2022. The rain that woke me to check the time, which I did and saw 4AM, lasted till 10am plus. I had planned to go before the official opening hours of 7.30AM, but greater forces had their reasons for making me register my arrival time in the teachers’ attendance book of Bugwe Primary School in Namutumba District at 11AM.

Most teachers, as expected in most government schools – irrespective of the remoteness or urban-ness of the location, in such a bad weather – were absent. So, most class had learners without teachers. Myself and my co-fellow of Teach for Uganda after registering our presence decided to cover grounds – she in Primary one and myself in Primary two. We occupied the learners till their departure time. An effort that lifted my heart. My interaction with them and engagement (the pupils responding to me in Lusoga and me asking and giving instructions in English accompanied by my few Luganda vocabulary I amassed since my varsity days) assured me of hope and life. The excitement I witnessed beaming through their retinas, the level of confidence I inspired in less than 30 minutes, it was a free world. A world where they could become anything they wanted! The journey of two years has begun with light steps that have cleared any doubts I must have had before stepping into this classroom. Much is to be done, and much I shall do – as long as my strength doesn’t fail me. I was once told that as a human, “we must pay the price for helping someone else” Such harsh words yet very factual and truer than any truth. For in order to tip the scales of education inequality and systemic injustice facing this sector in our Country Uganda – we must do just that., embrace the challenge and let them shape and sharpen us. Revolution begins with a stone throw.

It saddened me though, that the 57 primary two pupils that made it through the rain to access learning all sit on the floor of their classroom. The same can be said for their newly recruited peers in primary one. Something must be done about this. All of us, however little it is, however small we may begin – a few desks for starters would make a big change. Something that can be leveraged by a teacher to motivate the learners. Handwritings and class participation can improve as learners are focus their energy towards graduation from the floor (where writing is compared to planting rice on the mountain peak) to sitting on a desk. It can as well encourage good behavior and responsibility in the classroom, essential skills that they will need in their life long endeavors not only in the academic sphere.

Education shouldn’t be a pipe dream. Education is possibility possible!