It’s a sunny morning at Kilimani Primary School. March 03rd 2013. We are on a queue, waiting for a chance to exercise our civic duty to vote in a new crop of leadership. New, in this case is debatable. It could be edged in our mind that new means finally a young leadership. And that again has the potential to be stretched to accommodate as many opinions. Why, I am of the opinion that young denotes energy, but this energy could also be bottled destructive energy. Just as old age is not always wisdom. It’s always great folly to meet an old fool, by the way, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. And as the queue snakes its way around the run down classroom blocks, my mind is awash with such thoughts. I am not sure my candidates will make it beyond the ballot box, to be President or something else, but I have learnt to follow my conscience. Vote with my conscience. And this morning, like many others, I am convinced that my conscience is not flawed, and whatever choice I make, despite the consequences I can live with it. My leader of choice may not make it, but that is okay, for the primary reason is not to make a leader, but to exercise a democratic right. This is so individualistic, and I can only hope as many see my sense, and the guy wins. In case he doesn’t it is well. I played my part.
But it’s the small talk that ensue the conversation with my neighbor, which makes it easier to brave the 3 hours ahead. He is joined by an acquaintance, who I am to learn is an engineer. He works in Kilimani but lives in Easleigh. He has been out of school for a couple of years but his demeanor is nothing but a man who labors to eke out a living, which seems to pass him by. But why, this was that kid in school who had big hopes of being the road engineer that would fix the village cattle track that is the road to his home, that kid who braved long cold nights reading mole concept, Polymers etc. At times I am grateful to the small mercies of nature that I attended a high school where morning preps were not compulsory; this is besides the fact that my mind could never absorb anything meaningful beyond 8.30pm. Probably a reason why I haven’t yet become all that father dreamt of me. Those big candid dreams. But I digress.
Not that all men and women of great brains look miserable. In fact the mere thought of being a great brain is a huge plus. If you don’t believe me, try arguing with a fool. But probably nature should reward them more for these brains. And others for being cheated out of their luck and wits, imagining a great end out there, that proved just the beginning of tale end miseries. But it is a tough jungle for all out here, from the art student blogs some vanity that crossed her mind, to the Engineer and even the Doctor. Poor souls the doctors. It baffles me that the government is yet to take their work grievances seriously.
My neighbor on the queue is an artist and seems to share my sentiments. I also, for the sake of the conversation take up an artist title. I crotchet some pretty little stuff (not table mats though or granny sweaters!), I sew, I tell stories etc. That is a work of art, no? He tells of this guy in their high school class who was so brilliant, applied little effort in studies but effortlessly scored A’s, well, apart from Kiswahili. This boy had a thing for sciences, and dismantling stuff and reconstructing them was his pastime. You would expect his future to be bright. But we have an education system that has refused to adapt. I still don’t understand why their idea of revising the primary school syllabus, for instance, meant doing away with GHC, ACM etc If you can’t get these acronyms right, you are far from getting my story. Not that the subjects were structured with a better aim beyond getting good grades, but it’s mockery to imagine what they came up with as an alternative. Less subjects, less burden to kids, more chances to pass exams, That’s kind of makes sense in our competitive system but doesn’t make things right yet. I fault a system that doesn’t think beyond grades, and that’s why we have to contend with an unmanageable mess at the end of this conveyor belt that is the 844 system.
My neighbor then tells of his encounter with this brilliant chap of his day. He had gone to a customer care/retail center of some leading Telcom. And there was some confusion at seeing this genius there. He had finished his engineering degree, and he found a job. As a customer care person. Nothing challenging or to tap his otherwise brilliant mind. Just a friendly smile, politeness and all these other basic etiquette niceties they require in customer care is all he needs for his paycheck. And his frustration could be read, as he spoke to his former school mate. That’s where the world ‘out here’ placed his ambition.
Think of Albert Einstein. My neighbor suddenly says. Alert, and knowing where this is headed, I nod in agreement that the school system, if it has to get us beyond the ‘grades’ and ‘degree’ system needs to be overhauled or to be accommodative of individual student needs. But this may be too much asking of a poorly paid teacher. Back to the point, why torture a student who is good at languages (that was ME!) with Physics. I wouldn’t care much for gravity laws as long as I remain grounded and my steps steady as I walk or that if I fly, the plane won’t be perched on the skies. I would only be worried to lift my foot and instead of the accustomed walking way, be thrust high or jumping up and not coming down. I would prefer that the guy in class who is good with Physics, or wires and stuff gets all attention that would otherwise be wasted with me. That reminds me that only bulb is currently functional at home, because I can never help myself to change a bulb. Probably a kick for hating Physics.
And just as Einstein, I could bet many students felt victimized by a system that stifles creativity. You are not allowed to invent. Look at that guy who tried to fly his “homemade plane” the other day at Ruiru. He was barred. Like it’s a criminal offense, and the chiding remarks regarding his home made contraption were not helping manage his creativity or push it a notch higher. To me, it was simply an evidence of some lack in our education system. A gap that one is trying to fill. A JAB admitted Uni student would tell you the woes of being taken in an Anthropology class, against will, simply because that’s the merit of the grade, besides the disillusionment that this graduate faces after 4 years of school life. I think I was so far from brilliant, I identified what father thought was good for me, and not sure I would reach there following his route, ditched it for my 2 plans. I have somehow managed to get to a path to both, one as a career, and the other a hobby.
200,000 pupils may miss secondary education this year. No places for them, and by extension no proper place for them in society. As much as education is a door opener, even to possibilities beyond our imagination, some educator somewhere, should re-invent what ‘education’ means. So that when a kid misses the ‘great grades’, that doesn’t mean an end to living. Some of my village peers, who could hardly spell out their own names, have turned out well. Well, here means respectable,. Respectable denoting many things including legally made money and enviable businesses. Conversely, some fellows who easily made ‘good grades’, have only managed to make even greater grades in their second degrees and third degrees. It’s the folly of life.
Next month, if I could remember, may be the time we get results for 2013 KCSE. There will be Aaahs, and Ooohs and other indescribable feelings. I have always pitied a child who exuberantly says what they want to become, and most of these choices are pegged to what the society has branded as ‘good career choices’. A friend in Medical sciences recently told me that she is considering an Arts Degree for her Masters studies. Taken aback, I asked why. She didn’t belabor to explain that Arts has always been her thing, Sciences was merely for ‘employ-ability’. That employ-ability hasn’t been as satisfying for her, evidently. But in a society that thrives on its set ways, why am I even suggesting chasing the wind.
Winded up reading some Harlequin classic, “Trick to getting a Mom”, and Alex, the 9 year old who doesn’t seem to help herself in getting composed with right manners for a proper school child, is ever getting into trouble. Her father and she, love ‘lobstering’, and she is so masterful in the skill…., and it feels that she is already living the life that the rest of the kids are being prepared for out there. She has got such rational thinking for her age; you almost think she is an adult trapped in a baby body. But her Principal lacks this understanding, perhaps why it’s easy for her to send the adventurous girl for a two weeks’ suspension, when all that would be needed was to identity a system that would work for this child and her interests. But it is easy for the society to say that she lives in fantasy world. I think there remains a place for formal schooling, and even more special place for those that accommodate areas that kids excel in, and go ahead to give a chance for their skills to thrive in the society.
All said, it’s still never too late to be what you might have been!
WRITEthinking 
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