Whether it is threats to not punish the kids, or insults for giving too much homework, Kenyan teachers are almost always on the receiving end of parents’ wrath.
Being a teacher in this country will give you experiences not every profession can offer. And that’s saying a lot. More often than not, when teachers spend more time with the children than the parents, there is always an issue. Either they are too strict or give out too much work, or maybe it’s just the way they talk that seems to upset the parents.
Here are some encounters almost all Kenyan teachers can relate to:
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- ‘Don’t put your hands on my kid!’
If you are a teacher and are yet to hear this from a parent, consider yourself lucky. Parents out there are warning teachers against punishing their kids. Some claim they can do it themselves. However, what is the teacher supposed to do in case of misconduct? Smile, pat little old Jamie on the back, and say ‘never do that again? Come on. Even the good book says that sparing the rod is spoiling the child. If they are not at least punished (not necessarily with corporal punishment), they will most likely end up being little delinquents, and guess who will take the blame.
- ‘That’s just too much homework’
Ok, maybe some teachers go overboard on this homework issue. (Not you class 8 teachers). However, some parents complain about teachers giving their children homework. Maybe it is because some of it may involve the parent, but still. Homework is important for keeping the kids busy at home. So, parents, stop complaining and teachers, do it in moderation.
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- ‘Late night gossip topics’
Every teacher has been on the parents’ gossip list at least once or every two nights. It is either they are gossiping about how the teacher has some serious local dialect influence, they don’t dress properly, or they always ask for tuition money too many times. The worst part is that the parents discuss the teachers with their kids. No wonder, some students hardly respect their teachers.
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- ‘Enda umwambie silipi’
More often than not, parents will pass communication through their kids to the teachers. Now, while this is not bad, some of the messages can be embarrassing. Some parents even send crude messages to the teachers through texts or phone calls. Maybe teachers can be a tad bit infuriating, but is the crudeness necessary?
These are not even half of what teachers go through every day of the week. God bless those who are still in the profession, many decided to quit long ago. Who would blame them anyway?
